Fickle Fate
by bluebunny28
Summary: Fifth year!AU Sirius didn't get killed at the Ministry, but Harry knew he had messed up. He resolves to be better, but some people have decided that this is the last straw. When his life does a complete one-eighty, how will he cope, and who will be there for him? Light!Bashing.
1. Chapter 1

Fickle Fate:Chapter 1

 **Hello! This is the HP story I was doing on the side while publishing Propriety. A while ago I got a kick out of reading BadLightSide and GoodDarkSide, and thought it'd be fun to try it for myself. I tried to avoid a bunch of the typical plot lines I saw in the stories I read. I had a hard time picking Light characters to be bad (XD) but hopefully I still get my point across.**

 **This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.**

 **I am back at school and classes are already kicking my butt, so please be patient. I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Betrayed**

The atmosphere at the Burrow was so thick you could almost see it. The battle at the Ministry happened two days ago, and as Harry was reminded nearly every minute, they were lucky all of them had made it out alive. The Order had saved them and his godfather reprimanded him for being so stupid when they met up at the end. Harry had been shocked when after only a few brief moments with Sirius, Dumbledore sent him home with Ron for the summer. Though he couldn't stay with Sirius, he was beyond happy he didn't have to go to the Dursleys'. Hermione was staying for a while too, since her parents were out of town.

That being said, while Harry was happy to be at the Burrow, a number of the other occupants were not happy that he was there, Molly in particular. Harry was used to being smothered in hugs and having food practically shoved down his throat, but when Professor McGonagall dropped the trio off, Molly barely even looked at him. At meals he served himself, which he didn't mind, but Molly served everyone else first, ensuring there wasn't much left for him at the end.

To be honest, it hurt, but he could understand. He had led two of Molly's children into danger and they had gotten hurt.

Ron and Hermione noticed the odd behavior too, and though they didn't comment, they stuck by Harry's side. It helped his loneliness some but didn't do much to get rid of the guilt. Even Ginny was giving him the cold shoulder. It made everything hit home that much harder.

Currently, Hermione, Ron and Harry were seated together in the den and Mrs. Weasley was preparing lunch in the kitchen. The Trio didn't talk. They just huddled close, each mind wrapped up in its own thoughts. Mr. Weasley was off at work and Ginny was busy trying to curse the visiting twins for turning her hair green.

The Trio's relative quiet was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mrs. Weasley stopped her cooking to answer it before Ron could get there. The three students were surprised when she opened it up to Dumbledore, Kingsley and Mad Eye Moody on the other side. The Headmaster smiled at Mrs. Weasley.

"Ah, Molly. Everything is going well, I hope?" Molly graced the Headmaster with a tight smile.

"As well as can be expected, Albus. Please, come in." The three entered and Ginny and the twins popped in after them. Albus looked around and smiled at the Golden Trio.

"And how are you three doing? Recovering swiftly?" They all nodded hesitantly. Something felt…off, especially with how Mad Eye and Shacklebolt were glaring at Harry.

"Yes, Sir. We're…doing well." Albus nodded.

"Good, that's good." After a moment of awkward silence, he lifted his hands and brought them together in front of him in a small clap. "Well, I did come to share some good news. I have found a way to help the Order of the Phoenix's financial troubles." Harry's brows pulled together.

"Sir?" Albus gave him that same soft, 'all-knowing' smile, though the twinkle in his eye didn't seem as comforting as it usually did.

"Harry, my boy, I need you to accompany me." Harry tensed, and his hand slipped to his pocket for his wand. Hermione and Ron noticed and did the same.

"Where?" Dumbledore sighed, as if he was greatly disappointed.

"Now, Harry…" The next moment, Mad Eye and Shacklebolt whipped out their wands and disarmed all three of them. The Gryffindors were stunned. The two Aurors handed Molly Hermione and Ron's wands.

"Professor! What are you doing!?" Dumbledore glanced at Ms. Granger and shook his head.

"I already told you that I found a way to lessen our financial troubles. I'm sure you are aware of the danger Harry led you both into a few days ago. Unfortunately, the risk he will do so again is just too great." He turned his attention back to Harry. "Lucius Malfoy has offered a great deal of money if we simply deliver him to Malfoy Manor." Harry's heart skipped a bit and he couldn't breathe for a full five seconds.

"Are you bloody mental," Ron screamed.

" _Ronald Weasley_ , that is no way to speak to the Headmaster!" Ron stared at his mother with incredulity.

"Mum, he just said he's selling Harry to _Lucius Malfoy_! That's insane! He'll kill Harry in seconds!" Molly's lips pinched together.

"I know what he said Ronald. But he also said he'd just be delivering Harry to the Manor. Albus never said Lucius would kill him." Before Ron could scream at his mom again, Mad Eye cursed (" _For Merlin's sake!"_ ) and reached forward for Harry. The young wizard tried to pull back but the Auror caught his arm easily and held tight.

Harry was dragged roughly to the man's side. As soon as he got his bearings back, he fought.

"No! Let me go!" Mad Eye locked his other arm in his grip and still Harry fought. Hermione and Ron rushed forward to help, but each were caught by one of the twins.

"You traitors! Let us go! Harry!" Ron couldn't escape from George's grip and neither could Hermione from Fred's. Ginny just stood there watching, glaring with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No! Let go! 'Mione! Ron!" Bruises were already forming on Harry's arms but he didn't care. He finally slipped one arm free and reached for his friends. Mad Eye's now free arm wrapped around Harry's waist instead and dragged him back. The Headmaster and two Aurors started moving towards the door.

"Harry! Harry! You can't do this! It isn't right!" Hermione had tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled against the wizard that held her firm. Harry whipped his head around to meet Mrs. Weasley's hard gaze.

"Please, Mrs. Weasley! Don't let them do this!" Molly didn't say anything, and only continued to glare at Harry as he was dragged from the Burrow to the sounds of his friends screaming for him.

Harry fought even harder when they started to make their way down the lane to the edge of the property. Moody kept growling at him to shut it, but he refused. Harry wasn't aware of tears running down his face, from anger, fear and betrayal, but it didn't stop him. He fought like a wild animal.

The next moment, the back of a hand connected with his face.

Harry's head whipped to the side with the force of the blow and he fell limp for a moment in Moody's grasp. He tasted blood in his mouth from where his teeth cut the inside of his cheek. When he looked up, it was to see Kingsley scowling at him.

"If you don't shut up, Mr. Potter, we'll make you." Moody leaned forward then, and growled in Harry's ear.

"And trust me, _boy_ , it will make what your Uncle did to you look like a cakewalk. Now, move." Harry was shoved into motion. His whole body was tensed and he was terrified of what they would do to him. They weren't kidding. Harry didn't make a sound as they moved on and when he looked over at Dumbledore out of some desperate hope that it was all a sick joke, the Headmaster didn't even look at him. This was very real and the man he had trusted for so long wasn't going to save him.

When they reached the end of the road, Moody's grip tightened once more and they Disapparated. They landed in a back alley of Muggle London. The three wizards cast a few Notice-Me-Not charms and Harry was dragged along. They reached a nondescript black automobile. Kingsley slid into the driver's seat and Albus sat in shotgun. Harry was shoved into the back, quickly followed by Mad Eye.

The Auror pressed his wand into Harry's throat.

"Scream or whine or even open your mouth and you get thrown in the trunk. Understood?" Harry's clenched his jaw tight and nodded once, his wide eyes never leaving the man's wand.

The car started and they slid into traffic effortlessly, speaking to Kingsley's surprising experience with Muggle transportation. Harry didn't bother looking out the window as they moved through the city and eventually out and into the country. The ride was deathly silent, though when they had gone a solid half an hour in quiet, Albus turned in his seat to speak to Harry.

"This was not a decision lightly made, my boy. However, your actions at the end of the year solidified it for me. You have become too reckless, Harry. You put your friends in danger without a moment's hesitation. They could have been killed, and it would have been solely your fault." Harry's chest ached as Dumbledore's words hit home. The Headmaster's face portrayed 'disappointed grandfather', but there was nothing grandfatherly about what he was doing.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Please, I'll do better." Moody's wand pressed harder in warning and Albus shook his head sadly.

"It's too late for that, my boy." Harry desperately wanted to scream and plead his case, but the threat of being thrown into the trunk was enough to keep him quiet.

Finally, they passed through some sort of shield and a sprawling estate came into view. Harry knew right away where they were. They slowed as they pulled up to the gates and Harry caught sight of white peacocks strutting around without a care in the world. Meanwhile, he was trembling as he was about to be served up to the Dark Lord on a silver platter.

The iron gates swung open when they got closer and the car slowly pulled forward. Kingsley stopped the car right at the front steps and shut off the engine. Harry was then pulled from the automobile by Mad Eye and was dragged up the front steps, a little ways behind Albus and Shacklebolt.

The Headmaster knocked on the door and a house elf wearing a surprisingly clean and embroidered pillow case answered. She must have recognized Albus, because she bowed and allowed them to enter.

"Master Lucius be in the front sitting room. Master Lucius has been awaiting your arrivals with anticipation." Harry shivered and desperately wished for his wand. At this point, he felt he could only hope for a swift death, though with his luck, it would be dragged out until he was begging to die.

They found Lucius right where the house elf said he would be, and the man stood when they entered. Harry wanted to punch the smug smile off of his face, but knew it was only wishful thinking. He was confused when the man's smile turned down.

"I thought I told you I wanted the boy in one piece." Albus gave the man a placating smile.

"Yes, well, when we came to collect him, he was in the midst of a disagreement with young Mr. Weasley. Things got a bit heated, I'm afraid to say. Teenagers and their hormones. I'm sure you understand." Lucius was not fooled by the man's excuses as his eyes lighted upon the rough cut in the midst of Harry's bruise and a thick ring sitting on Shacklebolt's finger. However, he did not bother to contradict the man.

"Quite. Well, it seems you've held up your end of the bargain." Lucius reached into his pocket and retrieved a healthy sized bag that jingled when it moved. "I suppose I must hold up mine." Albus took hold of the money and Mad Eye suddenly shoved Harry towards Lucius. The boy lost his balance and ended up on his knees in front of the blond. He glared with a fury as Albus handed his wand over to the man.

Then, without another word, the Aurors left and Albus turned to follow them. He paused however, and gave Harry another one of those disappointed looks.

"You must understand, my boy, actions have consequences. Some, like yourself, simply learn that a little too late." With that, he swept from the room, leaving Harry with the man who would undoubtedly lead him like lamb to slaughter.

He heard Lucius step closer and he scuttled back. Lucius knelt in front of him and smiled.

"Well, Mr. Potter. It's just you and me now."

* * *

 **A/N: Well? I'm gonna keep publishing whether you like it or not just because this story is so fun for me to write. ;) Clearly some of the characters will be OOC. That's just the nature of this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Fickle Fate:Chapter 2

 **I was happy to hear such an amazing response to the story. Quick note though: keep in mind, this is a BadLightSide GoodDarkSide story. Dumbledore is a cocky old man in this story and thinks he's got everything under control. I've said my piece. Read on!**

 **This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.**

 **I am back at school and classes are already kicking my butt, so please be patient. I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Revelations!**

Ron and Hermione fought against the twins until Harry was long gone. Molly glared at them and tucked their wands into her apron.

"You'll get them back when you stop this temper tantrum and return to acting your age. Now, go calm down. I don't want to see either of you until dinner. You're actions were completely unacceptable." With that she turned her back on them and Ginny followed her into the kitchen, giving them her own glare for good measure.

The twins didn't release them, like they expected and instead Hermione and Ron found themselves dragged upstairs. Ron opened his mouth to protest, but George clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Hush up, Ickle Ronniekins. Just trust us." Ron would have told George where he could shove his trust, but soon they reached the twins' room. Hermione and Ron were shoved in, and Fred locked the door and set up Silencing Wards.

"You pieces of shi-!" Fred waved his wand threateningly.

"Now, now, dear brother of mine. There's no reason for name calling." Hermione stood tall, tears drying on her cheeks, but her glare no less fierce because of it.

"You let them take Harry to _sell him_! How could you!?" George sighed and motioned for them to take a seat. Ron and Hermione did reluctantly and Fred and George sat on the floor across from them.

"Look, you probably won't like hearing this…but we had to." Ron scowled and opened his mouth, but George held up his wand.

" _Don't_. Let us explain." He nodded to his twin and Fred continued.

"We've known about Dumbledore's insane idea for a little while now. Honestly, we haven't been keen on his ideas for a while, but we thought it would be smart to…play along if you will." Hermione narrowed her eyes at them in suspicion.

"So, you didn't want them to do that to Harry?" Fred and George reared back with their hands on their hearts.

"How could she say such a thing, Gred?"

"Like we would ever want to hurt one of our brothers, Forge."

"Well…there is Percy."

"Don't get me started on that piece of work, Forge." Ron looked back and forth between his brothers and recognized the expression on their faces.

"You guys have a plan, don't you? To get Harry back." The grins Fred and George gave him were a little scary.

"We knew we liked you for a reason, little brother." With that, they leaned forward to explain their plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry was trying desperately to come up with a plan of his own as he stared Lucius Malfoy square in the face. When the man looked about to speak again, Harry made his decision.

"Now, Mr. Potter-" Harry lashed out with his foot and kicked Mr. Malfoy square in the jaw. He then flipped over onto his knees, pushed himself to his feet and bolted.

Harry got as far as the front hall where he ran smack dab into someone. Hands caught hold of his arms immediately, right where Moody's had bruised him. Harry hissed and struggled, but when he looked up, desperate hope flared in his chest.

"Professor Snape! You have to help me! Dumbledore-" The Potion's Master sneered down at him.

"I am well aware of what the Headmaster has done, Potter." Snape looked up and past Harry to where Lucius stumbled through the opening, a dark bruise starting to form. "It looks like you've already taken it upon yourself to attack your host." Harry couldn't believe it, and yet…he wasn't surprised.

"I knew it! I knew you were just a filthy Death Eater who'd do anything for the Dark Lord. You utter piece of-" Severus's grip tightened enough that Harry pinched off his words into a pained hiss.

"You will watch your tongue, _Potter_ ," Snape growled. The Potions Master opened his mouth to threaten the boy, when he saw the bruise on Harry's cheek. He released one of Harry's arms and grasped the boy's chin in his long fingers. "Who did this?"

Harry refused to answer and only glared at the man. Snape looked to Lucius for answers.

"Dumbledore claimed Mr. Potter was brawling with his friend Mr. Weasley. Yet, I don't think Mr. Weasley wears a ring like Kingsley Shacklebolt does." Severus raised a brow and pursed his lips. The Potions Master released Harry's chin but not his arm.

"I will get some bruise salve…for _both_ of you." Harry scowled.

"What, Old Voldy will be mad that he didn't get first crack at me?" Snape took a deep breath to stop himself from letting loose on the boy but his tone was just as harsh as before.

"Being insolent to the bitter end, are we? No, the Dark Lord will not be happy to hear his _honored guest_ has been harmed. However, should you wish to remain only barely harmed, I suggest you keep your mouth shut when you meet with him, if you are even capable of such a feat." Severus didn't allow Harry to say anything more before he dragged the boy back to the sitting room he had been dropped off in.

Harry was unceremoniously dumped into a chair and Lucius settled across from him, an amused smirk on his face. Snape whipped out a vial of green sludge and handed it to Lucius first. The man took it and applied the nasty concoction with practiced ease. He returned it to his fellow Death Eater, who turned his attention to the Boy-Who-Lived. The young man expected to be given the salve too, but instead, Snape pulled out his wand. Harry tensed immediately and pulled back.

The Potions Master rolled his eyes.

"If you ever payed attention in my class you would know that Bruise Salve can not be applied to any open wounds. I need to heal the cut on your face first. Now, hold still." Harry, wandless and without any other options, did as he was told. When Severus finally pulled his wand back ten seconds later, Harry released the breath he had been holding.

Snape growled something along the lines of "Overdramatic Gryffindors" and then shoved the vial into Harry's hands. The young wizard reluctantly copied the motions he had seen Lucius perform. The sludge smelled as bad as it looked, but he was shocked when only moments after he applied it, it sunk into his skin, wiping away the bruise and the pain in one go.

"Don't look quite so shocked, Mr. Potter. Severus is one of the top Potions Masters in all of Wizarding Britain." Mr. Malfoy's voice brought the reality of his situation back to Harry and the boy sneered.

"I still don't know why you bothered. I'm just going to be dead in a few minutes. What does it matter that I have a bruise on my face?" Snape rolled his eyes and pulled the boy to his feet.

"Ever the Drama Queen. Now come along. I refuse to allow your histrionics to make us late." Harry was grateful (though he would never in a million years say so) that Severus slid his grip down to Harry's wrist instead of continuing to darken the bruises he felt forming on his upper arms.

 _So this is how it's going to end,_ Harry thought as he was dragged along. Honestly, while he never wanted to fight or kill anyone, he had hoped he would have died with his wand in hand, rather than completely defenseless. He had hoped he would have had friends at his back helping him. He had hoped…he wouldn't have been so alone in the world. But as usual, all of Harry's hopes were for naught. Not to mention, Fate had decided to throw him a curve ball. He had been betrayed by people he had thought, if not cared about him, didn't want to see him dead. Maybe God wanted to spice things up and thought this was the way to do it.

Despite all of this, Harry could find one small thing to be grateful for: at least he wasn't going to die at his Uncle's hands. He would die at the end of a wand held by the same mass murderer that had killed his parents. Harry had to say, the latter sounded a bit more…memorable and impactful than the former.

Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a pair of double doors that were obnoxiously oppressive and intimidating. They were something Harry would expect to see in one of Dudley's terrible horror films (why would he want to watch them when he was living them?). Lucius knocked with his snake-headed cane. A chillingly familiar voice bid them enter. Without any say in the matter, Harry was led through the doors once they opened.

The room was not as large and the doors implied, but it was still impressive. There weren't many people present either, which Harry was surprised about. Instead, only Bellatrix, Lucius's wife, and the two Lestrange brothers (he recognized them from photos) were present…aside from the Dark Lord of course.

Speaking of the Dark Lord…Harry hardly recognized him. If he hadn't killed the teenage version of Tom Riddle in his second year, Harry never would have connected the man sitting on the large, dark throne with Lord Voldemort. The man Harry was seeing was filled out, not gaunt looking, had normal colored skin (if still a bit pale), a head full of dark hair and most importantly, a _nose._ The dark wizard noticed his shock and smirked.

" _Harry Potter._ " he drawled. "I've had a bit of work done, if you hadn't noticed." His followers tittered in amusement, while Harry grew even more confused at the Muggle turn of phrase. After a moment, he shook himself out of his shock and tensed, trying to be prepared for anything.

Snape had finally released him, but Harry still didn't have his wand. He had to settle for clenching his fingers into fists at his side. His determination to appear brave and fearless only seemed to amuse the Dark Lord more.

"Come, come, Harry. Glare any harder and you'll give yourself a headache." Harry scowled and felt a flare of courage (or more likely stupidity) leap up inside of him.

"Look, I've had a pretty hard day. If you're gonna kill me just do it already." He saw Bellatrix's look of outrage and heard Snape's hiss of disdain but didn't care. He was going to die anyway; why should he curb his tongue? Harry only got more confused and angry as instead of killing him for his insolence then and there, Voldemort only lifted a brow and looked amused.

"I'd rather think you would be grateful towards me, Harry. After all, I did save you." Harry rolled his eyes. He caught a glance at Snape as he did so and saw the man looked ready to strangle him. Harry had to try hard not to smile cruelly at being able to piss off his Potion's Professor one last time.

"Yeah, "saved me" just to kill me." Lord Voldemort's eye twitched, and Harry knew he was getting to him. He would break this weird, semi-friendly facade if it was the last thing he did…which he kind of hoped it was.

"Harry, I will say this once, so listen carefully: I am not going to kill you." Harry's jaw dropped but he quickly snapped it shut. He didn't notice, but there was someone else in the room shocked by the declaration as well. When he opened it back up to argue, Voldemort held up a hand for silence. "I am telling the truth, whether you believe me or not. I have been trying to get you here for weeks now. The battle at the Department of Mysteries was one of many failed attempts, however it was the attempt that made it so easy for Lucius to convince Dumbledore to hand you over. Apparently, the old man had been looking for an excuse to get rid of you for quite some time."

Harry shook his head in denial on instinct. No, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't…but he did. He _sold_ him to the Dark Side.

"Yes, Harry. Albus Dumbledore was willing to sell a child to sustain his precious Order." Harry barely heard the angry hisses from the Death Eaters around him, as Dumbledore's words echoed in his ears. _You must understand, my boy, actions have consequences. Some, like yourself, simply learn that a little too late._

"Why?" The word tumbled out before Harry could stop it. It was laden with pain and betrayal, and Harry couldn't stand the weakness he heard in it. So, he hissed it again. " _Why_? After all of these years of you trying to kill me, why have you now decided to change your mind?" The Dark Lord was quiet for a few moments, trying to word his response properly.

"There is much about me that you don't know, and the truth would be too hard for you to accept right now. Why have I decided to not kill you? That is a tale for another time. However, I can tell you one of the reasons I wanted you here and away from Dumbledore." Harry was not happy that he wasn't getting the answer he wanted to hear, but nodded his head for Tom to continue. "It was recently brought to my attention that one of my followers had their child stolen from them. They were unaware of their loss until a few months ago when the spell locking away their memories was destroyed." Harry felt a very, very small amount of sympathy for whoever this person was, but wasn't sure what it had to do with him.

"The follower was Severus Snape and the child…was you." Harry's jaw dropped for the second time that day and he immediately started shaking his head.

"No, no, no. You're wrong! There's no _way_ he's my father!" Snape growled at Harry, when the boy looked at him with disgust.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, _Potter._ However, the fact remains, I am your biological father and Lily your mother. Albus kept those memories from me and had you blood adopted by James Potter to reinforce his lies." Harry refused to listen to the man and was debating the pros and cons and slugging the Dark Lord over dishonoring his parents' memories with such a lie.

"In time, I hope you two will…at least come to an understanding if not accept your relationship." Harry scowled.

"No way in Hell." Before Voldemort could respond to the teen's outburst, a loud hiss came from behind his throne. Seconds later Nagini slithered out, tongue flicking.

 _"Tom, why is the child sad? What have you done to him?"_ Voldemort's followers stepped hurriedly out of the snake's way as she slid forward. She ignored them however and moved right up to Harry's feet. The young Gryffindor stood his ground and warily eyed the snake that had attacked Arthur Weasley.

 _"I simply told him the truth, Nagini, about who his father is."_ Nagini could not grasp all aspects of human emotions and didn't understand most of their social constructs. However, she could tell that Harry was upset. Tom had explained to her that Harry believed a "James Potter" was his sire, but it was actually the non-snake-hisser Potions man. Nagini knew the Potions man was an angry sort and not overly kind. She could also see that the boy needed someone who could show him what Tom termed "affection."

 _"Young One, I know Potions man is not a happy or kind man, but he is your sire. He is…part of your nest. Should not a nest stay together?"_ Harry was surprised at how intelligent and even... _kind_ Voldemort's snake was.

 _"But he hates me. He always has. He cannot…_ love." There was not a good word for "love" in Parseltongue, but Nagini understood what he was getting at.

 _"Maybe. Now, don't be sad. It has been too long since I had someone other than Tom to talk to. I am happy. You should be happy too."_ With that, the large snake curled around Harry's legs in a semblance of a hug. It nearly knocked Harry over, but he kept his balance and managed to stay on his feet. After a moments hesitation, Harry reached down and carefully patted Nagini on the head. She hissed in contentment and Harry couldn't be mad at her. Everyone else? Yeah, he was definitely still mad at them. Nagini? Well…Harry wasn't sure how to feel about that…but he wasn't mad.

* * *

 **A/N: *Gasp!* Who was expecting that twist!? Certainly not me! ;) I don't want this to be a "Severus suddenly turns into a super nice guys who loves Harry to pieces as soon as he finds out Harry's his son" kind of story. This is definitely a different way to write him for me, so we'll see how this goes.**


	3. Chapter 3

Fickle Fate:Chapter 3

 **Spring Break! Time to work on assignments that were handed** **out right before break...and fan fiction! Huzzah! To celebrate, here's a new chapter! :)**

 **This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.**

 **I am back at school and classes are already kicking my butt, so please be patient. I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Anger and Patience: Both Hard to Hold On To**

Voldemort's eyes nearly fell out of his head at seeing his snake essentially _hugging_ Harry Potter. It was also astounding that the boy didn't appear frightened of the large reptile. Then again, when you've faced a Basilisk perhaps all other snakes don't seem as terrifying. He quickly composed himself and caught Narcissa Malfoy's attention.

"Perhaps, you could show our guest up to his room, Narcissa. You are the Lady of the House after all." The woman bowed her head.

"Yes, My Lord." She walked up to the boy, but stopped a safe distance away because of the snake. Nagini didn't pay her any heed, but Harry eyed her with suspicion.

"If you would follow me…" Harry clenched his fists again, but nodded sharply. What else was he to do besides what he was told…for now. He made to follow but there was the not-so-small problem of Nagini wrapped around his legs.

 _"I need to walk. Mrs. Malfoy wants me to follow her to my_ room." By Harry's tone, Nagini could tell he clearly the boy expected to be led to the dungeons and gently unwound herself.

 _"I will come with you. I feel we will spend much time together there."_ Harry didn't understand what she meant, but let it pass. He turned and followed Draco's mom out of the room.

Once he left and the doors closed, Voldemort turned a hard stare on Lucius and Severus. He pet the tip of his wand in a way he knew made all of his followers nervous. The Dark Lord let them sweat for a few minutes before he finally said something.

"The two of you seem to forget the connection I have to the boy. I decided to…keep an eye on him, if you will, since this morning. I saw the Weasley women being cold to him. I saw Dumbledore's pet Aurors ripping him away from his friends. I saw Kingsley Shacklebolt back hand him hard enough to knock him off his feet if Mad-Eye hadn't been holding him up." Voldemort's red eyes seemed to glow as his anger built. "Do _not_ try to hide something from me ever again…especially if it pertains to the boy. He is to be protected at all costs. Do you understand me?" The last bit was addressed to all those in the room. They all readily agreed…except for Bella, who seemed to only nodded hesitantly. Never before had Bellatrix not agreed with every word from his mouth. Every day she practically slobbered over his boots to do his bidding. Tom vowed to keep an eye on her.

"Good. Now, other things of import. Severus." The Potions Master bowed his head.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"It is time for you to officially declare a side, Severus. No more will I tolerate you having a foot on either side of the war. Now, choose." Snape froze. He had honestly believed he had deceived the Dark Lord with his double dealings. However, now he was found out and needed to decide. Had Dumbledore not gladly and willingly sold Lily's child, Snape might have still been a bit tempted by the Light. That was not the case now, though and he quickly made up his mind.

"I serve only you, My Lord." Tom smirked.

"Good. I would send in your resignation to the Headmaster, Severus. I will have greater need of you here than there. Besides, we still have Lucius on the Board of Governors to keep an eye on things." Both men nodded their heads in agreement. Lord Voldemort went on to address everyone in the room.

"All of you are going to be called upon to protect and teach the boy. He will not be returning to Hogwarts, until Albus is removed from power and all of his little underlings are disposed of. The longer we can have Dumbledore believing I have killed the boy, the better." Tom's red eyes scanned his present followers. "That is all for now. I must speak to the Outer Circle now. Rodolphus, Rabastan," he called as the others filed out. "I charge you two with the particular task of body guarding the boy. Understand the severity of the burden I am placing on you." The twins nodded and left the room. They turned to take the stairs and start fulfilling their new duty straight away.

* * *

Harry was first shocked when Narcissa Malfoy led him _up_ instead of down to his room. The next shock came when she ushered him into a room on the third floor…that was actually a bedroom. It was as big as three of his Gryffindor dorm rooms put together and had an attached bathroom. The room was decorated in Gryffindor colors and had an enormous bed _and_ a sitting area with a couch and chairs. To say Harry was confused and wary would be an understatement.

"Lucius and my rooms are down the hall to your left and the Dark Lord resides on your right. He _suggests_ you stay away from the basement and remain indoors as much as possible. Any doors that are locked are to remain that way. You will find acceptable clothing in the wardrobe and the drawers. Dinner is at six every evening. Breakfast at seven thirty and Lunch at noon. Should you need anything, simply call for our House Elf, Slippy." Narcissa turned away before Harry could say anything else and left.

When the door closed behind her, Harry listened for click of a lock, but didn't hear one. Nagini slithered past him to explore the room.

 _"This is a good space. Lots of room. Large bed."_

 _"Still a prison though."_ Harry spotted a large window on the far wall and made his way over to it. He was surprised to find it too unlocked and he swiftly stuck his head out.

The drop was way too high to deal with without a broom or a wand handy and he cursed. Nagini slithered up behind him silently.

 _"Pull yourself back in before you fall out!"_ Harry jumped, hit his head on the open window edge and whipped around. _"Why are you scared of me? I would not harm you, Young One."_ Harry scowled and rubbed the bump that was forming under his mop of hair.

 _"I'm not scared of you! I've just seen what damage you can do. I don't trust you."_ Nagini actually seemed hurt, from what Harry could tell. He wouldn't allow himself to feel guilty though. He was being held captive by Voldemort and the Dark Lord's giant snake was following him around.

 _"How have you seen me? This is the first we have met."_ Harry stalked over to the bedroom doors and put his ear up to them, listening intently.

 _"I saw you attack my best friend's dad at the Ministry. It was a vision."_ Harry didn't hear anyone outside the room and slowly turned the knob.

 _"The Order man? Tom asked me to look around and that man attacked me with his fire stick!"_ The young man didn't have time to dwell on the strange insistence of Voldemort's snake as he quietly pulled his bed room door open. When he did he cursed again.

"So that's why the door wasn't locked," he growled. Rabastan and Rodolphus turned and bowed their heads.

"Mr. Potter, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange at your service." They were clearly brothers, though if they were twins they weren't identical like Fred and George. The one who spoke, and gestured to himself as Rodolphus was dirty blond and had a scar above his left eyebrow. The other being Rabastan, had dark brown hair and looked quite thin.

"Let me guess, my jailers?" Rodolphus smirked at the boy's anger, finding it as threatening as a kitten.

"More like body guards. However, we would suggest that you stay in your room for now." Harry had snorted at them being "body guards" and scowled some more at being told to stay in his room.

"I thought you just said you weren't my jailers?" This time it was Rabastan that answered. His voice was softer than Harry had expected…from a Death Eater.

"We aren't. However, the Dark Lord is conducting a meeting with the rest of the Death Eaters and it would be safer for you to remain here. The Dark Lord does not want you to come to harm from an overzealous follower." The young man rolled his eyes.

"Of course. He'd hate for someone else to kill me before he does. Fine. I'll stay here." With that Harry slammed the door. Nagini had to quickly pull her head back in to avoid getting hurt. She watched with fascination as Harry stomped over to the large bed and threw himself face down on it.

 _"You are angry."_ Harry gripped the pilled under his head so tightly it was about to rip.

 _"Of course I'm angry! I was betrayed by people who I thought cared about me, ripped away from my friends and am being kept prisoner by the mad-man who murdered my parents!"_ Harry lifted his head and looked around the room. He scowled when he saw that there was nothing throwable in the room besides the pillows…and his glasses, but he needed those.

If only he had his wand. If only he could get out of here. If only this was just a dream! Harry cursed himself when tears of frustration started to well up in his eyes. He sniffed and rubbed his nose before burying his face in the pillow, ignoring the way his glasses dug painfully into his face.

 _"Do not cry, Young One. All is well."_ Nagini slithered up onto the bed and her tongue flicked into Harry's hair.

 _"Go away,_ " Harry hissed into his pillow. Nagini didn't leave but she didn't say anything more either. She simply laid next Harry, offering what comfort she could.

* * *

Voldemort settled at the head of the dining table and looked around. The Inner Circle was all present, except for Rabastan and Rodolphus. Their guest of honor was also missing.

"Lucius, where are they?" Lucius bowed his head.

"The Lestrange brothers were still standing outside of Mr. Potter's rooms. Apparently he is refusing to come out, My Lord." Severus sneered.

"Throwing a temper tantrum. How typical."

" _Severus_ ," the Dark Lord hissed. The Potion's Master ducked his head in apology for his outburst, and Tom sighed. "The boy has had a trying day. I will allow this one breach of etiquette. However, I won't allow him to starve himself in protest." Tom then ordered Slippy to take the brothers some dinner and bid everyone eat.

Meanwhile, in another house, in a different part of England, a family of red heads was eating dinner with a forlorn fugitive.

"Albus, if I could just talk to him-"

"No, Sirius. I've already told you. Harry is safer at the Dursleys' and needs to be left alone for a while. Now, how has Remus been doing?" Sirius Black ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He had been confined to Grimmauld for far too long, and ever since the disaster at the Ministry, Dumbledore has refused to let him even write to his godson.

"He is not making much progress with the Northern packs. They've isolated themselves for so long they barely even remember indoor plumbing. They won't even leave their own forest; I don't think we'll have to worry about them joining _anyone._ " Albus nodded solemnly.

"That is perhaps the best outcome. Now-" Ron tuned the Headmaster out and focussed on not hexing the man until he bled. He had Hermione on one side and Fred on the other. Mrs. Weasley was happily cooking and Mr. Weasley was quietly reading over the Prophet. Ron had been absolutely furious to find out that his dad had known about the plan to take Harry and did nothing to stop it.

Hermione squeezed his hand, reminding him to remain calm. He met her eyes and she gave him an encouraging smile. The two of them and the twins knew that Remus and Sirius were kept unaware of the plan, but decided to not inform them. For one, Remus was too hard to get ahold of and in a precarious position, and two, Sirius was a wild card and would be more likely to get them all killed than stick to the plan.

They had eventually been able to convince Molly that they would behave themselves in front of the Headmaster, and she allowed them to go to Headquarters. Albus kept watching them from the corner of his eye, but they had indeed been behaving themselves. They hadn't gotten their wands back though.

Fred and George convinced them that it would be best for them to get their wands back from Molly willingly. If they tried to steal them back and failed, they wouldn't be allowed out of anyone's sight for the next month. The twins had been against Dumbledore and the Order for a while, but they thought it could prove fruitful to keep up the charade of good little Light wizards. Through many of their escapades over the years at Hogwarts they had heard things that had slowly changed their minds.

They heard Albus sending Aurors after witches and wizards to threaten them into supporting the Light, with political votes or money. They heard him complaining about Harry not doing what _he_ wanted and not fulfilling his purpose. Fred had had to hold his brother back when they heard Albus muttering about Harry "whining" over his treatment at the Dursleys'. The Old Man knew what they did to him and he didn't care. The worst, however, was all of the memory charms they heard him weaving over Hogwarts staff and Order members.

If anyone started to question him or his treatment of students, he invited them for tea. When the person would leave, they suddenly didn't disagree with anything the man said. Fred and George, on more than one occasion, believed Dumbledore had used the Imperius Curse. Because of Albus's penchant to play with people's memories, Fred and George took to writing everything about their day down and made sure to stick close to Ron and Hermione. They didn't want Dumbledore deciding they were too much of a liability and he had to tinker with their minds.

So, they waited. Ron held tight to Hermione's hand and the twins stayed on either side of the couple. The four of them could only hope that Hermione was right and Voldemort would wait to make a spectacle of Harry's death. They hoped their friend could hold on long enough for them to get him back.

* * *

 **Google didn't give me much on the Lestrange brothers so...you're gonna get my imagine on that end. You're going to have to be patient for Severus to start being nice...I'll admit it took even longer than _I_ expected and I'm writing it!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Fickle Fate:Chapter 4

 **Back to school and back to exhaustion Well, at least you guys get a new chapter out of it. :)**

 **This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.**

 **I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **What to Expect**

The sun came up over Malfoy Manor and breakfast was nearly upon its inhabitants. As the minutes ticked down and Harry still did not join them, Tom grew more and more irritated. Finally, as the clock struck seven thirty, Tom stood. All of his followers looked to him, apprehension clear as his anger rolled off of him.

"I will go fetch the boy, myself." They all wondered what state the boy would be in when Voldemort dragged him down. Bellatrix was practically vibrating in perverse excitement.

Tom stalked silently up the stairs and down to Harry's room. He raised a brow at finding both Lestrange brothers still standing outside the door. They bowed when they saw him.

"He has not answered our calls to wake up, My Lord. When we tried to enter…something hissed at us," Rodolphus said.

"Something hissed at you? Well, maybe I should give our guest a wake up call, myself." He opened the door and slid in without any trouble. What he found when he entered, however, stopped him in his tracks.

 _"Be quiet, Tom. Young One needs his rest."_ Nagini was completely wrapped around the boy with her head resting on the pillow adjacent to his. Harry's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and he twitched every so often. Voldemort didn't miss the slight puffiness of the boy's cheeks indicating he had been crying at some point during the night. However, that was not his concern.

 _"It is time for breakfast, and he didn't come down to dinner last night."_ Nagini gave the snake equivalent of a sigh and knew Tom was right. Harry needed to eat. So, the snake gently bumped her nose against Harry's cheek to wake him. It took a few tries, but she eventually succeeded. Harry's eyes snapped open, and he immediately began to struggle upon feeling restrained.

 _"Calm, Young One. It is just me."_ Harry looked down and saw that, yes, he was wrapped up in Nagini. He wasn't tied to the bed.

"My snake seems to have taken quite the liking to you." Harry gave himself whiplash throwing his head around to see the Dark Lord standing at the foot of his bed. The older wizard lifted a brow at him, and Harry scowled.

"I'm not trying to steal your pet, _Tom._ " Harry was soon freed from Nagini's grasp and sat up. "What do you want?" The anger and antagonism Harry was displaying were not surprising in the least, but what Tom felt through the link he shared with the boy made the Dark Lord suspicious of something. He'd have to keep observing though and examine Harry through their link at a later time.

"I _want_ you to pay attention to the time and come to meals. I won't have you starving yourself in defiance. You already missed dinner and are late for breakfast. Get up and get dressed immediately." Harry scowled at the Dark Lord.

"One, I wasn't hungry last night. Two, how the Hell am I supposed to tell the time without a clock in here or my wand and three, no." Tom counted to ten slowly and clenched his jaw. Teenagers, angst, hormones, sold to his mortal enemy. Tom reminded himself of all these things and forced himself to be patient with the boy.

"I will have a clock brought in for you as long as you promise not to throw it. I understand you throw some impressive tantrums." Harry blushed and scowled at the jibe. "You will have your wand returned to you when we start your lessons. You will not be returning to Hogwarts." Harry looked ready to protest, but Tom held up a hand and the boy, surprisingly, snapped his mouth shut. "Finally, _get up_ and get dressed in something acceptable. I can feel the Resizing Charms on your clothes all the way over here." The young man scowled, though Tom could see his cheeks turn red even as the boy stomped towards the wardrobe.

Harry was more than a little surprised to find jeans and plain t-shirts in the wardrobe (alongside far too many wizarding robes) but quickly grabbed a set. He turned to see the Dark Lord watching him intently.

"Aren't you going to leave?" Lord Voldemort narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"And allow you to barricade yourself in the room? I think not. I'm going to personally escort you down." Harry scowled and stomped off to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Knowing there was no point in fighting or stalling any longer, Harry got dressed. He was surprised to find the clothes fit him perfectly, but just put it down to the obvious explanation of magic.

He reemerged from the bathroom to find Tom hadn't moved an inch. Harry folded his old clothes and left them on his bed, before mockingly motioning for Tom to lead the way out the door. The Dark Lord gritted his teeth. He had promised himself the night before that he would restrain himself from Crucio-ing the boy. It was proving to be quite the challenge.

To remind himself to be patient with Harry, Voldemort peeked at the boy's emotions through their link. His anger dried up when he found that Harry was terrified and hurt more than anything. The defiance was to cover up how scared he was.

Sufficiently sobered, Tom opened the bedroom door without a word. Harry's scowl deepened upon seeing the Lestrange brothers, but he decided to ignore them rather than comment. Nagini slithered alongside the boy, which gave the Gryffindor an odd sense of comfort. Harry followed Tom down to the dining room silently, though he was covertly taking note of doors and which appeared open, hallways and how many turns it took to get to the room on the first floor. His looking wasn't as secret as he had thought, however. Voldemort was quietly impressed.

They finally reached the dining room and Harry tensed at seeing all of the Inner Circle present. He noticed Bella's smile fall, so he could only assume she was disappointed to see him unharmed. Lucius gave him a small, smug smile in greeting. Narcissa inclined her head. Snape was as surly as ever.

"You will sit next to me, so I ensure you eat. Bella, move." Had the situation been entirely different, Harry would have laughed at the devastation on Bellatrix's face. A quick glance at the woman's husband showed he didn't bother hiding his smirk of amusement. _Unhappy marriage then. No surprise there,_ Harry thought. He begrudgingly sat where directed once Bellatrix seated herself farther down the table and found himself seated right across from Severus Snape.

"So glad you could grace us with your presence, Mr. Potter," the Potions Master drawled. Harry pursed his lips and pointedly scooped some eggs and then fruit onto his plate.

"Well, Tom was insistent I not starve myself. Though, I think seeing your face is doing a good job of making me lose my appetite." Bella cried out in dismay at hearing Harry call her Lord by his Muggle name, but a dark look from Voldemort silenced any further outbursts. Lucius coughed and covered his mouth to hide his smirk.

"Now, Children… _shut up._ " Harry's jaw dropped for a moment, but then he had to clamp down on a bark of surprised laughter. The Dark Lord was definitely interesting…not that it made Harry like him…at all.

Harry felt Nagini slither up and settle on his feet. He speared a couple of sausage links and snuck one down to her. Her laugh unsettled the others who didn't know she was there and she gave Harry her thanks before taking the meat.

"Those aren't good for her. I'd rather you not encourage her begging." Harry raised an eyebrow and shifted his feet under the heavy snake.

"Laying on my feet is her begging?" Tom's lips twitched, and he nodded.

"Quite. She insists she does not act like a common mutt and yet…" He trailed off as Nagini gave an indignant hiss and bumped her face against his knee in protest. Harry once again had to fight down laughter. Maybe the papers were right to call him crazy. Here he was, sitting next to the Dark Lord and laughing. His mind was no doubt on its way to shattering.

To distract himself, Harry started to eat some of the fruit. He had always liked fruit. Hogwarts didn't offer much beyond apples and oranges, and he never got anything beyond bread and scraps at the Dursleys'. Besides, fruit was too healthy for them. Here though, they had grapes and bananas and cherries and blackberries…well, you get the picture.

Harry was so absorbed in trying the different fruit, he didn't notice the disgusted look on Tom's face (he caught a glimpse of the boy's thoughts, explaining his interest in the fruit) and the contemplative one on Snape's (the Potions Master assumed the boy would go for the more cavity-inducing sweets the House Elves had laid out).

"Harry." The boy looked up at the Dark Lord addressing him. "You will begin training with Lucius, the Lestrange brothers and Severus tomorrow morning after breakfast. They will teach you Defense, true history of the Dark Arts, how to conduct yourself in proper Wizarding society, potions and dueling." Harry thought to protest, but paused and then saw it as an opportunity to maybe get out of the Manor.

"I'll get my wand back then?" Tom nodded.

"Yes. _However_ , it will be taken away again should you prove to be a danger to yourself or others." Harry snorted and turned his attention back to his plate.

"Fine. Though you might want to work on that condition. I've been told I'm a safety hazard when it comes to Potions." Severus scowled at the boy for what he saw as a deliberate attempt to get him in trouble with the Dark Lord. Voldemort, however, simply raised a brow.

"Well, you are known for proving people wrong. I'd suggest you give that a shot when it comes to your studies." Harry couldn't help but feel like he was being condescended too and bit his tongue to stop from saying something he'd regret. The sharp pain reminded him to start thinking before speaking.

The meal continued with more subdued talk, and Harry ate fruit until he started to feel sick, allowing his eggs to grow cold. Only his obsession with not wasting food led to him finishing everything that was on his plate. His stomach twisted, and he knew he was going to regret the eggs later. Harry was startled from his thoughts by Voldemort clearing his throat.

"As you are aware, this is Malfoy Manor. As such, Draco resides here. He was spending time at a friend's house these past couple of days and will be returning here later this morning. I don't expect you to become friends, but I do not want to be told there was a duel in the hallway. You will completely avoid each other if necessary to prevent a brawl. Is that clear?" Harry assumed he would be the only one getting this warning and nodded begrudgingly. No one ever seemed to care that he never went looking for Draco to start the fights, or that he was never the one to start them.

They ran into each other plenty at Hogwarts, and that place was a lot bigger than Malfoy Manor. Harry knew already that this wasn't going to end well.

"Good. Now the Lestrange bothers will give you a more in depth tour of the place. Lucius, Severus, I wish to speak with you. Bellatrix, Narcissa, you will meet Draco when he arrives and inform him of the situation." Tasks all doled out, everyone stood and parted ways. Harry reluctantly walked up to the Lestrange brothers. They smiled cheerfully at him and led the way out towards the front of the Manor.

Once it was clear they were all alone, Rodolphus turned to him.

"I must say, that was one of the most entertaining breakfasts we've had in a while." Harry's facial expression clearly said he didn't believe him.

"No one besides Lucius ever goes after Ol' Snape. They either fear him as the left hand man of the Dark Lord or respect him for his abilities," Rabastan explained. Harry was both surprised and not at the same time. Plenty of students feared Snape, but very few respected him. It would also take an idiot to not see that the Slytherin was good at what he did. Despite what that same man always said, Harry wasn't a complete idiot.

"Trust me. It's not anything new. Now, where are we?" They had traveled into a hallway filled with moving portraits. Harry guessed they were all of Draco's relatives, because they all sneered down at him.

" _Who is this piece of filth you've dragged into our house?!_ "

" _Are you one of Draco's friends? That boy is no Malfoy I tell you. No spine in him!"_ Harry grit his teeth as all of the portraits started to join in. He found it slightly amusing that they didn't approve of Draco for all the blond touted being a Malfoy.

"Now I get why they're left in a unused and dusty hallway," Harry growled. A number of the portraits gasped.

 _"Why I never!"_ Harry smirked, flipped them off and proceeded down the hallway to the sound of frames shaking with rage and the Lestrange brothers cackling. The two men soon caught up to their charge and Rabastan threw an arm over the boy's shoulders. The young man tensed and threw the older man's arm off of him, but the brother allowed it without comment.

"I think we are going to get along splendidly," Rabastan said with a wide smile.

"Don't hold your breath," Harry snorted. The brothers smirked to each other and continued the tour. Hopefully young Mr. Potter would grow to like them…at least a little bit.

* * *

 **I like sassy Harry. :)**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Fickle Fate:Chapter 5

 **Fanfiction is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment...WAY TOO MUCH work to do here. Bring on Summer Break already!**

 **This story is set right after 5th year and keep in mind I haven't read the book in YEARS and therefore have likely messed up the timeline significantly. Please suspend disbelief with me for a while.**

 **I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Intervene**

Harry was curled up in the library with a book when Draco came across him. The Lestrange brothers were playing chess in the corner, and Harry was reading about wandless magic. Even the slumbering portrait had woken up and held its breath when the two young men met each other's eyes.

"Potter," Draco spoke carefully, as if talking to a wild animal.

"Malfoy," Harry drawled. The Gryffindor sighed and closed his book. He stood and started to leave the library, book in hand.

"Where are you going, Potter?" Harry stopped and the Lestrange brothers stood, ready to get between the two men if needed.

"I was told it would be in my best interests to not start anything with you, _Malfoy_ ," Harry hissed. "I was also told to avoid you if necessary, which would honestly be my pleasure." If the Gryffindor was surprised when the Slytherin didn't throw some nasty comment back at him, he didn't show it. "Let's do each other a favor and stay out of each other's way, Ferret. I'm not going to last long anyway, but I'd rather my end didn't come about because you couldn't rein in your prissy ego." With that, Harry left, followed by impressed bodyguards.

Malfoy stood alone in the library, staring stunned at where his school yard nemesis gave him a tongue lashing worthy of a Slytherin. Here he had been planning to simply grab a book.

Meanwhile, Harry stalked down the hallway towards his bedroom, trying desperately to not lose his temper. Had he his wand, Harry wasn't sure he wouldn't have hexed the Ferret for simply breathing. Something about the rage he was feeling seemed too intense given so little had happened, but since when were teenage hormones logical?

"You handled that well, Mr. Potter, if I do say so myself. From what we've heard, normally you and Lucius's son can't even look at each other without a brawl breaking out." Harry growled at Rodolphus and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut up. It has never been that bad. Let me guess, you heard that from Snape? He always likes to portray his Slytherins as the poor victims, when most of the time its the Ferret's 'Wait till my Father hears about this' attitude that sparks everything. Besides that, his favorite thing to do is insult my dead mother or _remind_ me that my parents are dead. Like I ever forget." Harry huffed and shook his head. "And _I'm_ the devil's spawn," he muttered. Rabastan and Rodolphus shared a concerned look and each vowed to speak with Lucius later about his son's behavior.

Draco was normally a quiet, polite young man when in the presence of the Dark Lord, his father and the other Death Eaters. None of them gave him much thought, but it seemed the young Malfoy had made a name for himself at Hogwarts.

"What other things does Draco like to say at school, Harry?" Harry rolled his eyes and clenched his fists.

"Plenty of pureblood superiority garbage and how the new broom Daddy got him is going to help him beat me at the next Quidditch game. He loves to talk to Rita Skeeter about me, and tell her about how mental I am. He laughed when they were going to execute Buckbeak, Hagrid's Hippogriff. He stopped laughing when Hermione punched him in the face." Harry smirked, but the brother's saw the amusement quickly dim and the smirk fell into a scowl. "Draco also likes to call Hermione a Mudblood."

Harry was shocked at the hiss that came from the two brothers, so shocked that he stopped to face them.

"What? She's Muggleborn. Don't you all think that?" Rodolphus and Rabastan looked equally offended.

"The Dark Lord is a Halfblood, like yourself, Harry, like a number of his followers. If it weren't for Muggleborns, Pureblood lines would be so inbred the magic would die out, leading to nothing but Squibs; something that has happened before." Harry didn't know how to process what he had been told. It contradicted most of what he had been told about the Dark over the years.

The young man shook his head and kept walking, not caring about where he was going. Surprisingly, he managed to get back to his bedroom. Harry threw a comment over his shoulder before slamming the door in the brothers' faces.

"I'll be out for lunch." Rodolphus and Rabastan reared back so as to avoid breaking their noses and blinked in shock. The boy certainly had a temper on him, and he was beyond rude. Something about it seemed forced however. They had noticed the way the boy carefully ate everything on his plate at breakfast, how whenever they went into a room Harry covertly took in every entrance and exit, and so far it seemed the boy unconsciously picked up after himself, as if to get rid of any sign of his existence in a room. Everything was adding up to a strange picture. The boy was rude and disrespectful yes, but not in an arrogant way, more of a 'I don't trust you and you have to earn respect' way.

It was confusing, and the boy had only been at the Manor for almost twenty-four hours. The brothers sighed and did Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who got to tell the Dark Lord what they had learned. Rabastan lost, and he sighed as he left his brother to guard their charge.

Meanwhile, Harry leaned against the door and sighed too. His shoulders slumped, and he ran a shaky hand through his hair. It was exhausting trying to not show how scared he was, but he was also fighting with the anger inside of him. He didn't necessarily have a death wish, but he almost wished they'd get it over with, rather than leaving him wondering when it was going to happen.

Harry pushed off the door and walked over to sit on the edge of his bed. Glancing around at his "prison," he was surprised to find a clock had been set on his nightstand. He reached over to take ahold of it, but found it had been spelled to the surface of the wood and wouldn't budge. Harry scowled; it was no doubt to prevent him from throwing it in a fit of rage.

Pushing down his irritation, Harry decided to practice some of what he had learned in the book he was reading. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize his magic. Finally, after what felt like hours, he caught a glimpse of light in the darkness. Harry moved towards it, when suddenly-

 _"What are you doing, Young One?"_ Harry was ripped violently from his meditation and scowled at the snake.

" _How did you get in here?"_ Nagini slithered up to lay next to him on the bed.

" _I have my ways,"_ she hissed mysteriously, only for Harry to roll his eyes. He looked around and found a hole in his wall, just big enough for the snake to fit through.

 _"Well, I was meditating, so if you don't mind-"_

" _Would you come outside with me? Tom is busy and sun is good for Young Ones."_ Harry growled and almost snapped at the snake, before realizing this could be his chance to scope out the grounds. He huffed and made sure to sound put upon.

 _"Fine. But if I get yelled at, I'm blaming you."_ Nagini only laughed at him and led him to the door. He opened it and walked passed a stunned Rodolphus.

"I'm taking Nagini for a walk." The older wizard quickly caught up to the two and watched curiously as Nagini led the young Gryffindor down the stairs and out to the gardens. Rodolphus watched Harry closely and saw how the boy looked almost longingly at the many flowers growing, before shaking his head and turning to take in the details of the grounds.

Nagini guided Harry to, what she explained as, her favorite sunning spot, a stone patio next to a Koi pond. Harry sat himself on a carved bench and allowed the quiet to calm him. Before he knew it, the warmth and the silence lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

Harry jolted awake when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He automatically reached for a wand that wasn't there and jumped away. Rodolphus held his hands up in surrender, hoping the gesture would calm the scowling teen.

"It's time for lunch, and unless you want the Dark Lord coming to escort you again, I'd suggest we get going." Harry nodded sharply and tried to calm his racing heart.

 _"It is time for your food, Young One! Come! You must eat."_ Harry shook his head at the oddly enthusiastic snake and grumbled under his breath as he followed the two back inside and towards the dining room.

He begrudgingly sat in the same seat as that morning and stared at his plate waiting for others to arrive. Bellatrix, Narcissa and Rabastan were already there, but he made a point of ignoring them. A few minutes later, the others came in, Lucius looking decidedly pale. Riddle nodded to him in greeting and Snape sneered at him, not like Harry cared though. Draco was the last to enter, and he froze when he caught sight of the Dark Lord's stormy expression and his Father's ashen one.

"Ah, young Draco. I'm glad you could join us. Have a seat." Draco did, reluctantly so. Once everyone was seated, food appeared on the table and Tom bid everyone "dig in." Harry grabbed half of a sandwich and some more fruit but kept an eye on Voldemort and Draco. His school yard nemesis was visibly shaking. As soon as people started eating, Tom spoke.

"It has been brought to my attention that someone in this room has been teaching the next generation of my followers to…speak out of turn, shall I say." Harry looked at Tom, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and chewing a piece of cantaloupe. His eyes skipped over to Draco and noticed the boy had given up any semblance of eating. "Draco…" Voldemort drawled. The Dark Lord drew his wand out and started turning it slowly in his fingers. Draco grew visibly paler. "Would you care to share what you've been saying while away at school?" The younger Malfoy opened and closed his mouth like a fish, so scared he couldn't get a single word out. "No? Well… _Cru-"_

 _"Don't."_ Everyone froze, shocked that Harry Potter cut off the Dark Lord in the midst of him about to curse someone. Tom turned an ice cold glare at the boy.

"Excuse me?" Harry glared right back.

"If you want to Crucio people, do it somewhere else. I'd rather not lose my appetite listening to you getting your rocks off by making other people scream in agony." Harry held the Dark Lord's gaze, while everyone else held their breath. The staring contest was broken by a hissing laughter emanating from under the table.

 _"Young One has a point, Tom. You do enjoy hurting others a little too much."_ Tom growled at his familiar.

 _"Shut up!"_ Despite his anger, Tom actually did put his wand away and turned his glare on Draco.

"You will meet me in my office as soon as we are finished here." Draco nodded quickly and turned back to staring at his plate. Harry smirked at the Dark Lord and made a point of obnoxiously shoving fruit in his mouth. The Potions Master scowled at his atrocious manners, and Harry had to hold back from showing the man his chewed food out of spite. Instead, Harry only smiled brightly at the Dungeon Bat and reached down to pet Nagini on the head.

The meal continued in silence and Harry kept up being obnoxious, just because he knew how much it bothered the others around him. Rabastan and Rodolphus seemed slightly amused, though they did send him disapproving looks now and again. Lunch finally ended and Tom stood.

"Draco," was all he said as he left. The Slytherin stood shakily and quickly followed the Dark Lord. Harry did _not_ like Draco, but he couldn't help but feel an ever-so-slight twinge of sympathy for what he knew was going to happen to the boy. Harry stood to leave soon after, but paused as his name was called.

"Mr. Potter." Harry looked down at the still seated Lucius Malfoy and raised a brow. "I don't know whether to thank you for stalling Draco's punishment or curse you for possibly making it worse on him." Harry rolled his eyes and replied as he walked away.

"How about we go with neither? It's not like I did it for you."Rodolphus and Rabastan followed Harry out the door, while Nagini decided to go off and hunt for food for herself. When they were out of earshot, Rabastan spoke.

"For being the Boy-Who-Lived, you sure do have a death wish." Harry scowled.

" _Don't_ call me that, and this may surprise you, but I actually don't have a death wish. It would be nice if Voldemort stopped dragging it out though." Rodolphus met Rabastan's eyes and the two of them suddenly shoved Harry into an empty sitting room and locked the door. Harry's eyes flashed with rage and fear.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" Rabastan flicked his wand and Harry was none too gently, nudged into a chair.

"We think that you need an attitude adjustment." Harry's heart was racing at this point and he kept looked around for a way out. He felt naked without his wand.

"Well get in line. I think my Uncle and Snape have first dibs." When he moved to stand and leave, Rodolphus flicked _his_ wand and Harry was suddenly bound to the chair. Harry was officially panicking now. "Let. Me. Go!" Rodolphus and Rabastan watched curiously as Harry got worked up. The boy tugged at the restraints, but even when it was clear he couldn't escape, he didn't stop.

"We'll let you go, when you agree to think before you speak and to start treating the Dark Lord and the rest of us with respect." Harry scowled at them.

"How about you earn that right first? You all just go around demanding respect when you've done nothing that says you deserve it. But no, _I'm_ the bad one. I'm the freak who can't keep his mouth shut. I'm the crazy kid who goes out of his way to get everyone in trouble and gets people killed." The brothers realized they had made a mistake as Harry began to hyperventilate. "But _I'm_ the one who was kidnapped and sold and I'm always blamed for _everything_ but nobody ever tells me _anything_ and-" Rodolphus got rid of the restraints immediately and the two rushed forward.

"Calm down, Harry. Put your head between your knees and breathe." Rabastan reached out to touch the boy, but Harry flinched back violently.

"Don't touch me!" Harry didn't notice the tears running down his face and the brothers didn't mention it. They just sat there as their charge brokenly sobbed and curled into a ball on the chair. Rabastan and Rodolphus felt like dirt and could only hope the Dark Lord didn't kill them for this.

* * *

 **The panic attack scene came out of nowhere. I seem to have a subconscious desire to write them though as they keep happening in all of my stories.**

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Fickle Fate:Chapter 6

 **My Easter Break is turning into a weekend to catch up on a bunch of work. -_- Oh well. At least I can still update today!**

 **** _Be aware this chapter directly follows the last one!_ Re-read the last one if you need to, to make this chapter more clear.**

 **I will try to update every other Saturday but please understand that I am drowning in assignments if I don't get a chapter up in time.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **A Heart Two Sizes Too Big**

Harry stared at the floor of the random sitting room he was in. He had stopped crying long ago and Rodolphus and Rabastan hadn't said anything. Honestly, the young man was mortified that he broke down in front of the two Death Eaters. No doubt they thought he was stupid and weak and a child.

All three occupants of the room were startled by a loud, angry hiss.

 _"I smell tears! What have you two done!?"_ Nagini reared up in front of Harry and bared her fangs at the brothers, causing them to scramble up and away. Harry sighed and started rubbing his temples where a headache was blossoming.

 _"It's fine, Nagini. They didn't do it on purpose. Calm down."_ The snake relaxed some but wasn't about to let the Lestrange brothers near the young Parselmouth. Harry gave a soft smile towards the snake's back, but turned a cold gaze on Rabastan and Rodolphus.

"I told her it wasn't your fault this time. Do this again and I won't be as forgiving." The two men nodded their understanding. Harry's gaze wavered upon seeing sincere remorse in their eyes, but instead of acknowledging it, he stood and shakily left the room. He ran his hands over his face to make sure their weren't any tears hanging on and walked to his room, Nagini slithering at his heels.

He was almost there when he ran into Draco coming out of his parents' bedroom. The young Slytherin was pale and shaky. Draco froze when he saw Harry, nervous he'd get in trouble again just for looking at the other boy. Harry, meanwhile, was focussed on the bright red mark on the boy's cheek. Draco noticed what he was looking at and scowled.

"Come to gloat," the boy sneered. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Hardly. Unlike you, I don't take pleasure in getting other people in trouble. I didn't actually think anyone would be mad about what you spew around school. I don't think _that's_ something Voldemort would have done though," Harry gestured to Draco's cheek. The blond's hand flew up to cover it.

"And how would you know?" Harry was swiftly losing his patience.

"Because I've seen him torture people. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty. I'm guessing your mother doesn't mind though." Draco's eyes got really wide and the question was obvious. "You just came out of your parents' room and I know your father doesn't have nails long enough to leave scratches like that." Draco scowled.

"Piss off, Potter." Harry smirked.

"Now, now, Ferret. Careful." The taunt got the reaction he was hoping for, and the boy blanched. Harry didn't want to torture the Slytherin too much, however, and turned serious again. "Was she just embarrassed that you got in trouble with Voldemort?" Draco's eyes flicked back to the door of his parents' room and Harry motioned for the young Malfoy to follow him. The Slytherin hesitated but was corralled by Nagini into doing so.

Harry was glad the Lestrange brothers hung back and out of sight. He didn't think Draco would talk to him if he knew they were around. _And why am I even bothering_ , Harry wondered to himself. _Because you don't like people getting treated like you were by the Dursleys,_ the shy voice in the back of his head whispered. Whatever the reason was, Harry led Draco into his own room.

He sat in one of the chairs in the room and Draco reluctantly took the other. It was more than a little disconcerting to the young Malfoy to see the Dark Lord's snake curl up at Potter's feet.

"So, you want to explain," Harry prompted. Draco huffed.

"Not particularly, and definitely not to you." Harry cocked his head to the side.

"I don't know, Malfoy. I've got Voldemort kind of on my side, and your father doesn't seem particularly un-fond of me at the moment. What can it hurt to tell me? I'm probably going to be dead soon anyway." Draco was unnerved by how emotionlessly Harry spoke of his own death. It didn't exactly encourage him to talk…however, he had been desperate to talk to anyone for _years._ Like Potter said, he'd probably be dead soon anyway.

"The Dark Lord asked me who was teaching me all the things I've been saying around school, and I told him. Mother…didn't like that." Harry's brows furrowed together.

"So it wasn't your father?" Draco scrunched his nose up.

"No. Father doesn't encourage that kind of talk; he only tells me to behave as a proper Malfoy. He only lashes out at the Weasleys. He'd be the first one to tell me to stop." Now Harry was more confused, and a little disbelieving. He had first hand knowledge that Lucius could be nasty to people other than the Weasleys. Not to mention, he had Draco pegged as a Daddy's boy all the way. A thought struck him then.

"It was Bellatrix, wasn't it?" Draco's mouth snapped shut and he looked away, letting Harry know he hit the nail on the head. "Your aunt seems to say a lot of things that she thinks Voldemort approves of, but he doesn't." Draco's jaw clenched.

"Mother…is really close to Aunt Bella. I grew up with her around a lot. Father doesn't like her." Draco scoffed. "Hell, her own husband doesn't like her, but she would talk to me when Father wasn't around. He wasn't around a lot." Draco's voice got quiet near the end, but then he shot a glare at Potter. "You tell anyone about this and I'll hex you." Harry held up his hands in surrender, but stayed quiet, hoping Draco would continue. He did.

"She was always trying to teach me how to please the Dark Lord, how to act to gain his favor. Aunt Bella has some…disturbing ideas in that regard." Both boys shuddered at the thought. "Mother usually sat in on the lessons, encouraging me to listen. If I didn't…" Draco gestured to his face.

"Let me guess: you told Voldemort who's been teaching you things and now Bellatrix is in trouble and your mum is mad at you for getting her precious sister a mini torture session with Voldemort." Draco huffed again.

"More or less." Harry watched the other boy and realized this was the longest they had talked, _ever,_ and in a civil manner no less. He rubbed his scar, which gave him a weird tingling sensation before focussing back on the conversation.

"Why don't you tell your dad?" Draco scowled.

"I told you, _Potter_ ," Draco spat. "When he ever _is_ around, he's always teaching me how to be a proper Malfoy. Malfoys aren't weak." Harry stared at Draco for a moment before sighing and leaning forward.

"Look, Ferret, I'm going to tell you something that Hermione told me once." When Draco opened his mouth to protest, Harry shot him a look and Nagini hissed. Once he was sure the Slytherin would listen, Harry spoke. "Being hurt, physically, mentally or emotionally, doesn't make you weak. It makes the other person weak for needing to belittle you so much to get you to do what they want and think what they want. Your mother had to hurt her own child. She had to hurt you to get you to do something. Like any normal child, you did what you were told so you didn't get hurt again. That makes _her_ weak. Believe me, your father may be absent, but he's no less protective of you than any other father should be." Draco was quiet for a long while, soaking up what he was just told. Finally, he narrowed his eyes at his school nemesis.

"Why would Granger be telling _you_ this?" Harry leaned back and pursed his lips.

"Let's just say I'm not a spoiled prince like everything seems to think." Draco didn't know how to respond to that and eventually stood, pulling himself together.

"Don't think this makes us friends, Scarhead." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ferret." Draco had his hand on the doorknob when Harry called out to him again. "Hey. Tell your dad. He'll listen." Draco paused, then left the room without another word. Harry continued staring at the chair opposite him and Nagini wrapped herself around his legs in a semblance of a hug.

 _"Your heart is quite large, Young One. It is bigger than your anger."_ Something about the snake's words made something buzz in the back of Harry's head but he ignored it.

 _"Sometimes, I think that's my biggest problem."_

* * *

Dumbledore was frustrated. Sirius would not stop bothering him about talking to the Potter boy and Remus was making no headway with the werewolf packs.

Not to mention he had a suspicion Potter's friends were up to something. He had been keeping a close eye on them and knew they weren't as understanding as they pretended to be. That was the reason he encouraged Molly to hold onto their wands for a while longer. If she gave them back now, he had no doubt they would run off in an attempt to "save" their friend. Then they'd get themselves killed, and Molly would be in an uproar, and it would give him a headache he didn't want to deal with.

He had more important things to focus on, such as keeping an eye on Voldemort's movements and working his way back up the social ladder in the Ministry.

Fudge was a complete imbecile, but now that the man had seen Voldemort for himself, perhaps he would be more inclined to listen. If not, the money Lucius Malfoy gave him for handing over the boy would loosen the Minister's opinions.

Mad Eye and Shacklebolt kept him informed on how many in the Auror ranks were blind sheep to the Minister and how many were possible Death Eaters. Unfortunately, there were more of the latter than the former. However, he had his own infiltrators slowly working on the problem.

Dumbledore rolled his eyes as a crash sounded in the living room of Grimmauld Place followed by Sirius's mother screeching. He was really close to blasting a hole in the wall _through_ the cursed portrait! Albus heard Sirius yelling at his mother and had to count to ten. If that man followed this episode with another round of begging to speak to his godson, Albus would not be held accountable for his actions.

"Dumbledore, I heard something at work today, that I think you should know." Albus internally rolled his eyes. Arthur Weasley was an incompetent sheep, but at least he was a sheep cowed by his wife no less. It also meant one more person in the Ministry on his side, for which Albus could be grateful for.

So, he cut off his dark emotions and put on the facade of caring grandfather giving his "full attention" to the Weasley patriarch.

"Indeed, Arthur? Please, tell me. I'm sure it is quite important." He could never be more grateful for the man's timing as just when he started talking, Sirius Black walked determinedly towards him.

Padfoot saw that he was in the midst of getting important information, and his determination sputtered out. Dumbledore completely ignored the puppy dog eyes sent his way, and laughed on the inside as the stupid man walked off with his shoulders slumped.

Gryffindors were always the easiest to manipulate.

* * *

Voldemort was getting a head ache, and so were his right and left hands. Part of Lucius's punishment for not controlling his son was that he was not allowed to go to him after the Dark Lord "spoke" with the boy. The blond's pouting made the Dark Lord roll his eyes. Honestly, he had only Crucio'd the boy once. Lucius had gotten more than that in a day and was still walking about.

Severus was ready to start throwing curses if another one of the incompetent Outer Circle came with "important information." In all honesty, Voldemort wouldn't have minded. As the fifth unimportant Death Eater came forward with something vital to say, Tom decided to dip into Harry Potter's mind, to check on his well being of course.

To say he was surprised would have been an understatement.

From what he could see through their connection the boy was speaking with Lucius's son in his own room. Delving deeper, he looked through Harry's eyes and listened in.

 _"Why don't you tell your dad?" Draco scowled._

 _"I told you, Potter," Draco spat. "When he ever is around, he's always teaching me how to be a proper Malfoy. Malfoys aren't weak."_

The Dark Lord was…concerned, if Dark Lords were allowed such feelings. Perhaps he should relabel the emotion as intrigue; he wouldn't want to ruin his reputation. He was completely disregarding the minions and was putting his full attention into the two boys' conversation.

 _"Look, Ferret, I'm going to tell you something that Hermione told me once."_ Voldemort raised a brow in curiosity. _"Being hurt, physically, mentally or emotionally, doesn't make you weak. It makes the other person weak for needing to belittle you so much to get you to do what they want and think what they want. Your mother had to hurt her own child. She had to hurt you to get you to do something. Like any normal child, you did what you were told so you didn't get hurt again. That makes her weak. Believe me, your father may be absent, but he's no less protective of you than any other father should be."_ Draco was quiet and so was the Dark Lord. He…had never thought of it that way, though he wondered why the witch thought to tell Harry this. Apparently, Lucius's son was wondering the same thing. He wasn't a Slytherin for nothing.

 _"Why would Granger be telling you this?"_ The Dark Lord could feel the turmoil Harry was experiencing as he thought of how to answer the young Malfoy's question.

 _"Let's just say I'm not a spoiled prince like everything seems to think."_ That…didn't surprise the Dark Lord as much as he thought it would. From the little he was able to gather from Harry's mind on the boy's home life, he knew that his relatives weren't the most loving individuals, at least not to him. Voldemort knew of Harry's secret jealousy of his cousin and thought he was only starved for attention. The Gryffindor's allusion to his and Draco's similarities insinuated much more, however, especially given the scratches on the blond's cheek.

Tom knew for a fact those did not come from him. The Dark Lord pulled back from his connection with the boy and interrupted what had to be the twentieth floor-scraping weasel.

"Enough. That is all I shall hear for the day. Leave my presence." The Death Eaters scattered like roaches and were gone within seconds. Lucius and Severus sighed in relief at the meeting being over. Tom stood and addressed them.

"Severus, I have some potions I need you to make. Lucius, while I deal with your cursed sister-in-law, I might suggest you speak to your son. You wife seems to have been… _encouraging_ the behavior that Bellatrix taught him." Lucius's expression turned stormy and he gave his Lord a sharp nod, before swiftly exiting.

Watching him go, Voldemort couldn't help but think Harry was right. Lucius cared for his son more than Draco knew.

* * *

 **Draco's character is a bit fluid for me in this story. I am trying to make him more sympathetic but I don't want to change our beloved Ferret too much.**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Fickle Fate:Chapter 7

 **I have not been getting as much writing done on this story as I want! Not only are projects due and finals _very_ soon, but I received a prompt from a reviewer that just got my mind flowing for a completely different fandom and shut down the flow to this story. :/ Oh, well. Here's a chapter anyway.**

 **The next chapter is scheduled to go up in the midst of finals for me, so it might be slightly later than usual.**

 **WARNING- REFERENCE TO "MIND RAPE" IN THIS CHAPTER**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 _ **Polaris**_

Harry was sweating in concentration as he tried to direct his magic. He had been working on it all afternoon, since Draco had left. Nagini lazed about on his bed watching him. Finally, when black dots were starting to swarm his vision, he gave up.

Harry groaned and fell back on his bed, jostling Nagini.

 _"What are you doing that is so hard?"_ Harry rolled his eyes and sunk deeper into the mattress.

 _"Nothing you need to worry about, Nagini."_ Before the snake could question him again, he was saved by a knock on his door. Rodolphus poked his head in.

"It is time for dinner, Harry." The young Gryffindor sighed and stood. He brought a hand up to his head and closed his eyes as he was hit with a dizzy spell. A bump on his back told him Nagini was there to help. Once it was safe to walk, Harry left his room and walked with the Lestrange brothers to the dining room.

He was confused when he got to the table and none of the Malfoys were there, and neither was Bellatrix. However, Harry couldn't bring himself to care too much, and he took his regular seat. Dinner was served, and the rest of them ate in relative silence. It was probably the most civil he and Severus Snape had ever been.

When he stood to leave, Voldemort called his name.

"Harry, you will be getting your wand back tomorrow morning. Your lessons will start right after breakfast." Harry shoved down the thrill of excitement at getting his wand back and only nodded his understanding and left the room. He was grateful that the Lestrange brothers didn't try to strike up a conversation with him on the way back. Harry wasn't up for their weird attempts to befriend him.

Finally, they reached his room and the brothers bid him goodnight, knowing he wouldn't come back out again until morning.

Harry sighed in relief to be alone once more, except, he wasn't alone. He felt the wave of magic before he heard who was in his room.

" _Potter_ , what in Merlin's name did you do?!" Harry glared at Draco and realized the Ferret must have cast a Silencing Charm, otherwise the Lestrange bothers would have come bursting in.

"What the bloody hell are you on about, Malfoy?!" Draco stalked forward and shoved his wand in Harry's ribs.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Not fifteen minutes after we talked _my father_ came into my room all concerned, saying he needed to speak with me. He…he saw my face before I could get salve on it and now he's throwing Mother out of the house!" Draco's anger was burning bright, but Harry could see how upset the Slytherin was.

"Malfoy, I didn't tell anyone. Besides, why would your father believe me even if I had? Not to mention it sounds like he had no clue what was going on when he came to talk to you." Harry was proud of himself for being so calm and rational, and he couldn't help but think Hermione would be proud of him too. It made his heart clench.

"You don't understand. He _never_ just comes to talk with me. You must have said something!" And there went the pride. Harry's irritation flared and got the better of him.

"I don't know what you want me to say! I didn't tell anyone what you told me!" Draco's wand dug deeper into his ribs, causing Harry to flinch. It was pressing on a bruise that lingered from the Battle in the Department of Mystery's.

"You've destroyed my family!" Harry finally brought his hands up and shoved Draco off of him.

"Your mother did that herself! I had nothing to do with it. There was no one else in the room and I didn't tell anyone so-" Harry's scar tingled and he brought his hand up to rub it, distracted. Suddenly, it hit him and he scowled.

" _I'm going to kill him."_ Draco's face screwed up into a sneer.

"What are you on about?" Harry scratched at his scar as if that would make it go away.

"Voldemort has front row seats to my brain whenever he wants, if you haven't forgotten. He must have been spying on me while we were talking." Harry jumped and froze when a cold hand snagged his wrist. His suspicious green eyes met Draco's stormy grey and he didn't move.

"You're bleeding, Potter. I'd rather not get attacked as soon as I leave and they see blood." Harry scoffed and yanked his hand out of the other boy's grip.

"Whatever. Look, I'm really tired. Could you do me a favor and get the Hell out?" Draco scowled at the Gryffindor but did as bid. The blond slammed the door behind himself, furthering Harry's bad mood. He couldn't stop the sudden rage that reared up in him.

Harry reached inside himself for that spark he had found earlier and suddenly the mirror in his bathroom and the new clock on his nightstand exploded. It stunned him for a moment, and he was suddenly terrified that he'd get in trouble, instincts from the Dursleys still in place. His magic responded by restoring the items to their original state, and then his hold on the magic slipped away like it had never existed. Harry stood there for a moment or two, until he was overcome with exhaustion.

Wandless magic drained a witch or wizard greatly, as he had learned from the book. As he stepped forward to fall onto his bed, he could only hope that when he woke, he wouldn't be so angry.

* * *

Harry's wish did not come true. He found himself scowling at his eggs the next morning at breakfast, a strange buzzing anger under his skin for no apparent reason. His mood was not helped by the constant glances he was getting from Voldemort, Snape and his bodyguards. Even Nagini's contented hissing grated on his nerves.

Finally, Tom cleared his throat.

"As Lucius is off dealing with personal matters," Harry knew what those were, but honestly didn't care, "your lessons will start with Rabastan and Rodolphus. Here is your wand." Tom slid Harry's wand out of an inner pocket of his robes and handed it to Harry end first. That was the one good thing that had happened since Harry had gotten to the Manor. He felt ten times safer having his wand.

Getting his wand back only dampened his anger for so long, though. As he was led to a study by the Lestrange brothers, he could feel the anger still simmering in his gut. It was starting to actually feel like a physical phenomenon. He tried to push it aside as his bodyguards started their lessons.

"We'll start with the basic rules of pureblood society. First," began Rabastan. "Family is the most important thing." Harry was surprised by that rule, but gritted his teeth instead of commenting. "Second, privacy is key to promoting yourself. If people don't know your secrets, they've got no power over you. This leads to the third rule: know everything about everyone." Harry swore he had a fever and Rabastan's voice felt like steel wool being rubbed on his ear drums.

"This is _stupid_. Why do I have to learn this?" Harry didn't know where that came from. He hadn't been planning to say it, but it just burst out. Rodolphus narrowed his eyes at the teen.

"Because you must purport yourself as a respectable member of society. If you are to be at the Dark Lord's side, you must act in a certain way befitting that station. Acting like an angst ridden teenager is not appropriate, if you haven't figured that out already." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you are all still acting like Voldemort's not just gonna off me as soon as he gets bored. Dead man walking here! Can we drop the bloody charade?" Rabastan and Rodolphus were stunned. They could almost see the anger rolling off of their charge in waves.

"Harry…what's wrong? Why are you so angry?" Harry stood and started pacing, trying to shake out the ants under his skin.

"What's wrong!? I've been sold like cattle to the one man who wants to see me dead the most! And he decides it's the best game ever to just let me walk around like nothing's going to happen! He _murdered my parents!_ He tells me the person who hates me the most, right after him, is my _biological father_ and expects us to get along just because! This whole situation is just insane!" Harry tangled his fingers in his hair, eyes clenched shut and not noticing that books were starting to fall off the shelves. His magic was running wild, without even touching his wand.

Suddenly the doors burst open and Severus Snape, in all of his scowling glory, stalks over to the Gryffindor.

"What are you doing, Potter!?" Harry glared at the man, and if Snape weren't a spy with perfected control over his expressions, his jaw would have dropped at the sheer amount of rage in the boy's eyes.

"You can stay the bloody hell away from me!" Snape sneered and took hold of the boy's upper arm.

"Enough of this. Your attitude has lasted long enough. Maybe the Dark Lord can talk some sense into you." Harry was dragged out of the room, with Severus completely ignoring the protesting Lestrange brothers.

Harry tugged and fought the man's grip, but he couldn't escape, which only riled him up more.

"Let go of me, you demented old bat!" Snape's grip tightened impossibly after that comment, and when they got to the Dark Lord's study, Harry was practically thrown into the room.

"Severus, you better have a good explanation for this." Snape didn't even have to explain himself as Harry lost it.

"What is wrong with all of you!? You're acting like any of this is normal! Well you know what, you can all just die! Or better yet, Voldie, do me a favor and AK me right now. I'd love to visit my parents if you don't mind. You know, the one's you _murdered_!" While Harry continued ranting, Tom sat stunned. This was not the Harry Potter he knew. Something was very wrong. He should have trusted his first gut instinct.

Tom suddenly stood and walked over to Harry. The boy, for all he was begging Tom to kill him, backed away and started screaming for the man to stay back. Voldemort flicked Harry's wand away when the boy foolishly pointed it at him. Then, quick as a cobra, Tom reached forward and grabbed Harry's wrists before delving into the boy's mind through their connection.

At first there was nothing that he hadn't seen before. There was the typical teenage angst and memories he had sifted through over the past months. He passed by his Horcrux without stopping. The amount of rage present in Harry's mind was astounding, but the more Tom looked at it, the more…foreign it seemed. Like it wasn't actually originating from Harry. Tom dug deeper and was shocked at what he found.

To say he was upset would be an understatement. He was livid; however, he couldn't let loose his rage while still inside Harry's mind. Instead, Voldemort dug as deep as he could into the foreign magic until he found the mental and magical equivalent of an off switch. He quickly flipped it and propelled himself from the young man's mind.

Back in the real world, both Harry and Voldemort fell back. The Lestrange brothers caught Voldemort and Severus had to grab Harry, as the boy staggered into him.

"My Lord," came the cries of his followers. As soon as Voldemort had his feet under him he threw Rabastan and Rodolphus's hands off.

"Let go of me," he hissed. Meanwhile, Severus had his arms full of a shaking, _sobbing_ Harry Potter. The Potions Master grimaced, but knew he couldn't throw the boy away from him again. Voldemort would surely curse him for that.

"W-what did you _do_ to me," Harry cried out. He couldn't stop crying. All of his anger was gone, replaced by fear and grief and betrayal. He didn't understand.

Everyone in the room was shocked when the Dark Lord Voldemort walked over to Harry and gently took hold of the boy's face. Tom surprised himself by wiping away Harry's tears with his thumb. He was going to have to kill a few people after this to restore his reputation.

"Someone very powerful used a very twisted version of an emotional manipulation spell on you, Harry. I could sense that something was unusual about your anger, and I found a foreign magic in your mind. Judging by its strength, the spell has been in place for years. I managed to block the spell's effects, though we can't fully remove the spell without knowing the triggers and whether it was a manual or subconscious trigger." Tom released Harry's face as the boy had calmed mostly, though he was still shaking. Riddle was happy to see Snape had not let go of his son, though he thought that was more due to not wanting to be chastised by the Dark Lord than the Potions Master actually caring.

"Then again, the other option is the wizard who cast it can die, which is what I'm aiming for anyway." Severus scowled.

"Dumbledore? What did that old coot do now?" The Dark Lord smirked at the man's ire.

"If what I've seen of Harry's actions and my examination of his mind-scape are correct, I believe the old fool used a twisted version of the Polaris spell." The three Death Eaters in the room hissed.

"Why?" Harry's voice sounded so small in that moment, even Severus Snape was shocked. Voldemort grimaced.

"I can only hazard a few guess, but the only way to know and dismantle the spell on our end…would be to go through your mind and try to find a trace of the memory of Dumbledore planting the spell. Given that you had no idea he cast anything on you, Dumbledore likely erased your memory of the event." Harry saw the Dark Lord's eyes flick to Snape when he mentioned digging in Harry's mind and the boy freaked out. He flung himself away from the Potions Master and bolted from the room shouting.

Harry was gone before any of them could grab him, but they all heard his parting shout.

"I'm not letting you mind rape me again!" Severus scowled after the brat as the Lestrange brothers went running out of the room. The Potions Master didn't realize the trouble he was in until the Dark Lord spoke.

" _What_ did he mean?"

* * *

 **Someone's in BIG trouble...I felt that Severus never really understood the severity of what his Occlumency lessons were doing to Harry and so I made it basically synonymous with rape in this 'verse. CLARIFICATION: What Voldemort did would not be considered 'rape' in this instance because he was helping a mentally distressed person and removing a manipulation spell. With his connection to Harry the whole thing is a little fuzzy anyway. Snape rifled through Harry's mind however he pleased in the 'lessons'.**

 **And yes I did make up a spell for this chapter.**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Fickle Fate:Chapter 8

 **Finals are slowly eating away at my brain, but I have a new chapter for you! I wish to address a review I got a couple weeks ago. It was a bit nasty and rather rude, and I want to remind everyone that reviews are supposed to be critical but not cruel. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, if you don't like what I am writing either move on without saying anything or POLITELY let me know that you do not think this story is well-written or is lacking a strong plot line. That being said, the person commented that this was the stupidest plot line they had ever come across and one of the worst stories they'd read...after reading 1 solitary chapter. As both a reader and a writer, I know that it usually takes more than a single chapter to actually reveal a full plot line.**

 **Alright, rant over. The review did hurt my feelings for a moment, but only a moment. Please, continue to let me know whether you like the story or if you feel something needs to change.**

 **WARNING- Little bit of cursing and torture in this chapter.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Remembering**

"Harry! Where are you?" Rabastan and his brother had raced after the teen, but had lost him almost as soon as they had turned the corner. Rodolphus gave a frustrated huff and whipped out his wand.

"Point Me Harry!" The brothers followed the wand until they ended up in the room where they had first tried teaching Harry. They found the boy sitting on the couch, staring off at the wall. Nagini was wrapped around the boy like a blanket, her head resting on Harry's knee. The young wizard jumped when the two of them came into the room, causing Nagini to hiss.

"Harry…we've been looking for you. Are…you okay?" Harry not-so-covertly wiped his nose on his sleeve. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he curled up tighter as they approached.

"I'm fine." Harry's voice was rough and he looked away from the two brothers, just willing them to leave him alone. The last thing he wanted at that moment was to be dragged into a heart to heart with the two Death Eaters. He heard a snort, which made him curl up further, assuming they were laughing at him.

"Clearly you're fine," came Rabastan's mocking tone. An elbow from his brother caused him to roll his eyes but also soften his sarcastic edges. "We get you've been through a lot, Harry, but you can't let that get you down." The young Gryffindor cringed at the terribly awkward attempt at encouragement. Rodolphus sighed and rolled his eyes in a similar fashion as his brother moments before.

"Look, neither of us are great at emotions or teenagers, but we were both your age once. If we don't give you something to do, you're going to dwell and brood for the rest of the day. Let's continue with our lessons." That at least got a more defined reaction out of Harry. The boy raised an eyebrow in a eerily similar manner to their resident Potions Master.

"Seriously," he huffed in question. Rabastan, liking his brother's plan, nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Now, come on. Obviously we'll have to work on your posture too. How your back survives the horrendous slumping you do, I'll never know."

* * *

"Severus, you will explain to me what the boy meant or you will not like the consequences." Snape thought he wouldn't exactly enjoy the consequences when the Dark Lord learned the truth either but knew he had no choice.

"Dumbledore ordered me to start teaching the boy Occlumency when it became clear your connection with him was stronger than originally thought, My Lord." The Dark Lord glared at his Potions Master as this was the first time he was hearing about this. Occlumency was hard enough for fully matured adults to learn and trying to force that kind of mental magical power on a child? "The boy did not focus in the lessons and made only pitiful attempts to force me out of his mind. Our lessons went on for weeks and still he learned nothing. I ended the lessons when he had to audacity to spy into my personal Pensieve."

Voldemort raised a brow and hissed.

"Why only then, Severus? Did you not enjoy having the breach of privacy turned onto yourself?" The Dark Lord stepped closer to the other man and scowled. "You are a powerful Legilimens, in fact one of the most powerful in all of Britain, and you expected a young boy with no training to simply be able to throw you out of his mind? I know your _teaching_ style, Severus," the Dark Lord spat the word 'teaching' like it offended him. "Especially when it comes to Harry. I can guarantee you made no efforts to truly teach him and only violated his mind repeatedly and disparaged him when he failed over and over again. Have you ever had anyone force their way into your mind, Severus?"

Voldemort brought his wand up to flick a loose strand of hair from the Potions Master's face. It took everything Snape had in him not to flinch.

"Do you know how painful it can be? How utterly filthy and vulnerable it can leave you feeling? No? Look into my eyes, Severus." The Potions Master knew exactly what was coming but could do nothing but obey.

Suddenly, his mind was being attacked and no matter how many barriers he through up, the Dark Lord tore through them like tissue paper. Immediately some of his worst memories were being played in his mind's eye: the first time his father beat him, when James Potter and his gang lured him to the Shrieking Shack, when he called Lily that terrible word, when he realized what Dumbledore had done to his mind and what had been taken from him-

The next moment, Severus was on the ground, panting and shaking. Voldemort squatted down in front of him, scowl still in place. The Dark Lord grasped Snape's chin in his fingers, uncaring of the other man's pain.

"You did that to your _son_ for weeks and belittled him after every failure; do not deny it. Do you know that Harry has nightmares about someone attacking his mind and being unable to defend himself? I thought he was simply terrified of me, but now I know, he was scared of _you_. Are you proud, Severus? You've become your father and James Potter all wrapped into one. If your dueling and potions lessons with him are even a hint of your Occlumency lessons, you better find the darkest hole in the deepest part of the Earth to hide." With those parting words, the Dark Lord left, leaving the Potions Master shaking and ill on his office floor.

It took him far too long to haul himself off of the floor. When he finally made it to his feet, he was light headed and off balance. Finally, he righted himself and slowly made his way out of the Dark Lord's private office. Severus walked in a daze down, down, down towards his potions lab. He needed to feel secure again and that was the best place to do so. As soon as the door was closed, Severus slumped against it, head falling into his hands and he shook.

The Dark Lord succeeded in solidifying a painful truth for him that he had been trying to ignore for years. The memory alterations Dumbledore had performed on him could not be used as an excuse, as he still treated Pot- _Harry_ terribly even after he had learned the truth. He had discovered what had been going on back in February, yet Severus refused to let that change his image of the boy. He had let the old man win.

Snape took a deep breath and walked over to his work bench. He gathered up the ingredients to make a simple but much needed pain relieving potion. The Potions Master started going through the motions he had performed hundreds of times before and allowed the repetitive motion to comfort him. As he settled into the routine, his mind wandered.

He took the time to examine the memories that had been stolen from him. These past few months, Severus had pushed them back as far as he could, for they were too painful to examine. And now he realized, that was the worst thing he could have done.

At the time Dumbledore performed the complex spell, there hadn't been (relatively) too much time the Headmaster had had to erase. It was actually quite sad, how little the old man had to change. Albus had made him believe that when he had called Lily that dreadful name, she had never spoken to him again. It had been one of his fears at the time, but now he knew that was not the case. It took a lot of convincing on his part, but Lily had forgiven him. After a while, James Potter finally gave up trying to woo the red-head, and officially admitted defeat when Lily's finger flashed the Prince engagement ring on their graduation day.

Snape and Lily had wed a few months later. It had been a quiet, intimate ceremony, practically an elopement. At the time, Severus wanted to keep Lily to himself, afraid that Voldemort's enemies would use her against him (or even some deranged cult-like followers of the Dark Lord trying to get a leg up). He kept Lily out of that part of his life as much as he could, though he knew she wasn't an idiot and was at least partially aware of what he was doing. She didn't want to take a side in the war, but told him that she would stay by his side no matter what.

Severus's hand paused in his chopping and his heart actually _hurt_ when he thought about how elated and terrified he had been when Lily told him she was pregnant. Unfortunately, when he had come home that day, it wasn't with nearly as cheerful news. The Dark Lord had been getting more and more unhinged for reasons they did not understand and had given him the task of spying on Albus Dumbledore. Snape knew it would be exceedingly dangerous, but given the Dark Lord's mind state, he also knew he didn't have a choice.

To this day, he would regret the decision he made to obey. It had put him in Dumbledore's clutches and the man had wasted no time in destroying his life. The more he thought about it, the less it made sense that he stayed on the coot's side even a moment after he discovered the truth. Perhaps…perhaps it was that estranged part of his soul that had always cared for Harry. He had never understood his own determination to protect the boy, and he alway angrily squashed down any of his own mental protests to his treatment of said Gryffindor. Maybe that is what made him stay: Harry was with Dumbledore so he subconsciously decided to stay with Dumbledore. Now, Harry was (at least physically) with the Dark Lord and Severus was beginning to see snatches of the Tom Riddle he had originally signed on to follow.

Snape was brought back to the present when his potion suddenly boiled over with a violent hiss. He cried out in frustration and banished the ruined potion before the fumes got any worse. Leaning on his arms against the counter, the Potions Master bowed his head and let out a slow breath. He was obviously too preoccupied to brew even the simplest of potions.

"And here I was thinking you were the more collected of the two of us. Care to share what would distract you from your beloved potions?" Only those who knew Lucius Malfoy well would be able to see the stress and emotional turmoil the man had been going through. The blond aristocrat had only returned to the Manor a few minutes ago and had come to the potions lab in hopes of finding his friend's shoulder to lean on. As it turned out, the godfather of his only son was clearly in need of someone to lean on as well.

Severus sighed deeply, and Lucius was concerned to see the man's hands shaking.

"Lucius, I take it you have… _disposed_ of the problem?" Malfoy Senior's face contorted into a vicious scowl.

" _Yes_ ," he hissed. "That horrific excuse for a Lady has not a penny left to her name and has been graciously dropped off at her family home. Well worn and reputation tarnished. There's not a hope she'll find anyone to take her now." Snape was glad to hear the despicable woman was gone and ruined. He had never liked her, thought her too cold to be a real mother to Draco, and for once, he wasn't happy to be proven right.

"What of Draco?" At the mention of his son, Lucius deflated. The Malfoy patriarch sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in a very un-Lord like manner.

"He's understandably upset. Unfortunately, I think he is more upset with me for throwing his mother out." Snape watched his friend with concealed sympathy.

"The boy does not want his family torn apart. That is to be expected." Lucius nodded his understanding but his lips pulled down into an even deeper frown.

"He seemed…shocked that I would ask after him and even more so that I cared that his mother was hurting him." The pain in Lucius's voice was as plain as day. The man's head tilted up and he laid narrowed eyes on his friend. "Don't think your diversion tactics worked. I know you care about Draco but I still want to know what is going on with you." Severus scowled.

"What makes you think-"

"You look like shite. Now talk." Snape glared at his friend until eventually he sighed.

"I…the brat began his lessons today, and as I was walking past the lounge the Lestrange brothers prefer, I heard him yelling and throwing an impressive tantrum. His wild magic was moments from destroying the room. I barged in and…" Lucius lifted a brow.

"Let me guess. You were your usual charming self." Snape hissed and slammed his hand on the table in front of him.

"That seems to be everyone's explanation for my behavior today!" Lucius scoffed.

"Face it, Severus. When it comes to Harry Potter, _your son_ , you lose all rationality. This still doesn't explain why it looks like the Dark Lord used the Cruciatus on you." Lucius paused. "He didn't, did he?" Severus scowled and glared at the ground in front and off to the side of himself. After a few moments, he finally deflated and gave in.

He explained everything that had happened from dragging the boy into the Dark Lord's office to Voldemort…giving him a taste of his own medicine. When he was finished, he didn't exactly find sympathy in his friend's eyes.

" _Merlin_ , Severus! I know you hated the boy's false father but to do that to a child!" Snape growled.

"I know! I know what I did was cruel and heartless, but I've never claimed to be a kind man!" Lucius scowled at the Potions Master.

"What you did was beyond cruel, Severus! You violated a fifteen year old's mind. Your own son!" When Snape opened his mouth to protest, Lucius slashed his hand in the air in a sign for silence. "I don't care that you didn't know that at the time! You're lucky the Dark Lord doesn't throw you in Azkaban himself for this." Lucius started pacing, trying to calm his anger. "And to think, Albus condoned this and even encouraged you to continue," the blond man muttered.

Severus watched his friend walk back and forth and his anger finally broke down into his true feelings, self-hatred, shame, guilt and fear. He didn't suddenly care deeply for the boy or want to spend time with him, but Severus could see how terrible his actions were. How much he had truly, he hated to say it, _violated_ the boy. The boy's own actions with the Pensieve spying seemed paltry in comparison.

The Potions Master slumped back against another counter and bowed his head.

"How do I…fix this?" Lucius took in his friend's defeated posture and sighed.

"Apologizing is always a good start, though I know how well you are at that, my friend. Perhaps…you could work up to it." Severus's expression clearly bid Lucius to explain. "We've both got lessons with the boy. You could always _try_ to be less…" Snape snorted.

"Myself?" Lucius rolled his eyes.

"Despite what you might think and what I have said…I know you aren't a terrible person… _deep_ down. That's evident in how you helped me raise Draco." The last sentence was spoken quietly by a father who felt he had failed. More than once Lucius had confided that he feared Draco saw more of Severus than himself and would come to resent him for it. Snape knew that his godson didn't have as close of a relationship with his father as they would each like, but Lucius hadn't been completely absent or cruel. Now by getting rid of Draco's apparently abusive mother, hopefully the two Malfoy men would get to have that close relationship.

"If you can find the wherewithal to say I'm not a terrible man, I think it would be easy for me to tell you that you make a fine father, Lucius. Now with that blasted woman out of the way, and with your son coming into his own, you and Draco don't have to be so reserved around each other. Take your own advice. Show him the father I know you are." Lucius smirked at his friend and together they stood in thoughtful silence.

* * *

 **Don't worry! I didn't mean for the mind magic anger spell thing to be a cop out. Harry is still justifiably mad, it's just more controlled and actually stemming from his own emotions rather than being amplified by a magical manipulation.**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Fickle Fate:Chapter 9

 **I have been so distracted with sleeping and studying for medical school admissions tests that this story unfortunately took a back seat when it came to writing. Hopefully after next week I'll be able to dive back in without distraction.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Mine and Malfoys**

Dumbledore's eyes widened and rage (with a small side of fear) started to quake in his chest. It had been almost a week since he had handed Harry over to Voldemort, and he was reading the Daily Prophet over his breakfast.

The headline exclaimed that Peter Pettigrew had died late last night in St. Mungo's and exonerated Sirius Black by both his existence and confession to being the Potters' Secret Keeper. The article went on to explain that Peter had been dropped off at the door of the magical hospital, severely tortured but still alive. He didn't stay that way for long however. The staff at St. Mungo's did all they could, and as per regulation, called in Aurors. In his last moments, Peter confessed to being the Secret Keeper and betraying the Potters and framing Sirius for his death.

Albus was seething. He knew that none of his people had done this, but why would the Dark side kill one of their own? He thought Peter was a devoted servant that Voldemort liked keeping around. Another question floated through his mind: why hadn't there been any news on Harry's death? Albus was certain Tom would make a big spectacle of the boy's murder, but what was he waiting for? The Headmaster was having a growing fear that perhaps the Dark Lord had figured out what Harry was and planned to keep him safe instead of killing him. Perhaps Voldemort intended to keep Harry as a pet, like Nagini.

"Sirius! Have you seen the paper!?" Remus Lupin had returned only two days ago, having had no success with the wolf packs and barely escaping with his life. He and the other Marauder had been attached at the hip since his return, both consoling themselves over not being able to see their precious cub. Whenever the word came from their mouths, Albus wretched inside. Those two were dangerously attached to the boy, and he would have to keep them on a short leash.

Sirius ran into the kitchen at Remus's call and stared wide-eyed at the newspaper his friend held up. Black snatched it after a few moments and read it through over and over. His mouth dropped open a couple of times, before he was able to successfully make noise.

"How-Is…is this real? Who did this?" Before anyone could answer (Molly was leaning against the counter just as gobsmacked) a letter suddenly popped into existence in front of Sirius. The Ministry seal gleamed on the envelope. After hesitating only a moment, Black reached out and took hold of it. He slowly opened it, almost waiting for Aurors to jump out of the envelope.

 _Greetings Lord Black,_

 _The Ministry of Magic would like to offer its sincerest apologies for your unlawful imprisonment and lack of trial. Due to the improper proceedings you were imprisoned with, you will not be charged for escaping Azkaban Prison. As of this moment, you are a free man._

 _Please come to the Department of Justice at your earliest convenience to be informed as to the compensation the Ministry will be granting you. We also recommend you stop by Gringotts Bank to have your title reinstated. The seal on your vaults has been removed and the goblins assure us that no one has touched your family fortune._

 _Might I also assure you that an investigation will be looking into how you were imprisoned without trial. Yours was a severe case of injustice that shall not be repeated ever again._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Madame Bones_

A smile slashed across his face before he could stop it. A huff of laughter burst from his mouth and before he knew it, he was laughing hysterically right in the middle of the kitchen. Remus snatched the letter from him and read it for himself, when it became clear that Sirius wouldn't be sharing its contents anytime soon.

When the werewolf read it, he jumped up and hugged his best friend. He grabbed Black's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"Sirius, do you know what this means? You can legally be Harry's guardian! You're free!" Sirius was practically dancing at this point. At the mention of Harry, Sirius whipped around and stared at Dumbledore.

"I want him. Harry's mine now. I know James put that in his will." Dumbledore held back from snarling at the unofficially reinstated Lord Black and instead nodded slowly.

"Of course, my boy. However, I suggested to the Dursleys that it might be good to get Harry away for a while, allow him time to clear his head and come to terms with his actions. They took my advice and are on a holiday. They should return in a week. Allow him this time with his family and then you can have him." Sirius looked like he wanted to argue, but Dumbledore had eye contact and pushed a suggestion charm strong enough to quell the man's fight. Black slumped.

"Fine. But as soon as they get back, he's coming to stay with me." Albus nodded and Sirius quickly dragged a still skeptical looking Lupin over to the Floo.

Once they were alone, Molly approached Dumbledore.

"Albus, what are we going to do? It's not as if we can tell Sirius that some Death Eaters caught up with the boy on holiday. He'll go off the deep end and get himself thrown back in prison to avenge him." Albus waved the woman back.

"It has become a concern of mine that Voldemort might be trying to turn the boy and get Harry on his side. If there's no news of Potter's death by the end of the week, we will have to retrieve him and have to claim Death Eaters kidnapped him from his family while on holiday. Given the torture he's likely endured, it will be easy to pull off and he'll likely fall gratefully into our arms. The boy longs for affection and will take it where he can get it."

Molly, though initially shuddering at the thought of a child her son's age being tortured, quickly shook off her uncertainty. Albus knew what he was doing, and Harry had caused enough trouble as it was. The boy was a danger to the Wizarding World, not its savior.

* * *

Harry woke with a start. Nagini's body prevented him from jolting up completely, and he fell back against his pillow, panting from a nightmare.

The young man rubbed his fingers harshly into his eyes, effectively waking himself up completely and sighed. The Lestrange brothers had kept him very busy and occupied with lessons the past two days, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Severus Snape since that time in Voldemort's office. This didn't bother Harry, but he was getting concerned that the Professor was just brewing up some extra special torment for him. Harry knew Snape must have gotten in trouble for something Harry had said, and the man would surely take it out on him.

 _"Young One, you should still be resting._ " The Gryffindor gently stroked his fingers down Nagini's head in a petting motion.

 _"I know, but I can't sleep anymore."_ A sudden urge led Harry to slide out of bed and pad across the room to the door. The clock told him it was just past two-thirty in the morning, which meant the rest of the manor's occupants should be asleep.

Ignoring Nagini's questioning hisses, Harry quietly opened the door to his room and slipped out into the hall. In the back of his mind, Harry knew this was stupid. The Dark Lord and his followers had likely set traps to stop him from getting away. The crazy thing was, however, he wasn't trying to. Even if he did escape, he had no where to go. Instead, he just wandered.

He ended up down a hall he didn't recognize (not hard to do in such a large place) and saw a faint light shining out from under one of the doors. It was potentially quite stupid to do, but never let it be said that his curiosity had never gotten him into trouble.

Harry reached the door and slowly turned the ornate knob, pushing it open to reveal…a small library. It must have been a private collection room rather than the much larger library the Lestrange brothers had shown him.

"Mr. Potter. Shouldn't you be in bed?" The Gryffindor jumped and immediately reached for the wand that wasn't there. He cursed his stupidity and met Lucius Malfoy's arched eyebrow head on.

"I-I could ask you the same thing." Lucius huffed in amusement at the boy's cheek. He could see how what the Dark Lord had done had changed the boy. His entire body no longer screamed constant hostility, and he behaved more like a kitten trying to be a lion. The young Potter was still strong though; he didn't suddenly turn into a crying child terrified of his own shadow. It was nice to know that it wasn't the Headmaster's spell that had given the child his backbone.

Lucius inclined his head as if to say Touché and waved the boy further into the room. The Gryffindor (wisely) hesitated but his curiosity got the better of him again and he entered. He took the seat across from Lord Malfoy's and watched the man in silence, waiting for him to speak. He wasn't disappointed.

"So, Mr. Potter, what inspired tonight's wanderings? Couldn't sleep? Midnight snack? Trying to escape?" Though the Malfoy patriarch sounded calm, Harry could tell the man would be ready at a moments notice if it was clear Harry was attempting the last option. Harry tried to go for nonchalant as he shrugged his shoulders and scratched at the fabric of the chair's arm.

"Nightmare. Knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so I thought I'd wander around." Lucius raised an eyebrow at the boy (clearly the Slytherins' favorite form of communication).

"I know you've been taking lessons with the Lestranges. Did they not teach you that you don't tell your enemy the truth?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, they did. But what is the point of lying to you if any lie would land me in a worse situation than the actual truth? Besides, isn't this whole thing about you all proving you're _not_ my enemies?" Lucius gave a very put upon sigh, as though saying, ' _Teenagers.'_ The boy clearly didn't appreciate it and scowled at him. "Well, Mr. Malfoy? Why are you still up? Thinking about how to be a decent human being?" Lucius almost snorted, but that would be undignified. So…the kitten had teeth.

Taking his own advice, Lucius decided to offer a partial truth. He picked up a necklace lying across from him on a small table and held it out to the young Gryffindor.

"I was finishing up an assignment my Lord gave me. This." Lucius gestured with the jewelry. The necklace was a simple black leather string with a silver phoenix charm hanging from it. "This is an emergency Portkey. Should you somehow end up… _lost_ and need to make your way back here, simply grasp the charm and say _Safety_ in Parseltongue. It will land you directly in the Dark Lord's office which has numerous protection wards in place. It will also work no matter what wards you might be inside of." Harry looked at the necklace as if waiting for it to bite him.

After a few moments, Harry finally took the necklace. He was happy to see he could just put it over his head and didn't need to undo a clasp. He slipped it around his neck and ignored the satisfied look that crossed Mr. Malfoy's face. The phoenix charm seemed an odd choice, but then again, it would probably draw less attention if Harry was wearing a symbol of the light than a symbol of the dark should others see it. It fit with the expected image of Harry as the Light's Savior.

"You know," Harry said without looking up from where he was examining his new jewelry. "Draco seems to think that you don't care about him." Harry saw the Lord's hands clench tightly at this comment from the corner of his eyes and knew he was walking on thin ice. "Then again, he also accused me of telling you about what he told me in confidence and deliberately trying to rip his family apart. He's not the brightest wizard I've ever met and…and he seems to get a lot of wrong ideas about certain things." Harry was quiet for a few moments, and just let Mr. Malfoy digest what he'd said.

"And how…do you know he's wrong?" Lucius Malfoy could not believe he was asking for advice from a child ( _H_ _umoring the boy. I'm humoring the boy.)_ , but Mr. Potter seemed to be exceedingly insightful that evening. Harry's brows pinched together as he tried to think of an answer. Finally…

"I never grew up with a dad, but I've read stories that told me how they're supposed to act. Hermione and Ron always told me about their parents and how they behave. I've seen how protective you are with him. Even though I didn't grow up with relatives that loved _me_ , I know what that kind of love looks like on someone. You love him. The thing is, he loves you too, otherwise he wouldn't have constantly threatened me with you during our school years. He wouldn't be so upset at the thought of disappointing you. You two…should probably talk." Malfoy huffed and sat up straighter.

"Malfoy's don't talk about their feelings." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Clearly. It would help though. I guess what you need to ask yourself then is do you care more about what a Malfoy does or doesn't do than you do about your son? From what I've seen I almost thought you cared more about the latter." Here Harry found the courage to look the man straight in the eye. "But maybe I was wrong." After stunning the man into silence, Harry stood and started to walk out of the library. "Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy." Right when he got to the door, Lucius called out to him.

"Mr. Potter." Harry stopped. "I will consider your advice, however I think you should also consider mine. Severus Snape has been my friend for a number of years. I know how much of a bastard he can be, and I do not agree with a number of his actions. However, I also know that he has a strong heart with limited space. If you can get into it, he will protect you and care for you to the ends of the Earth. For all the years I've watched him care for Draco, I know he secretly longs for a son of his own. All I suggest is…if he reaches out, don't reject him outright." Harry felt bitterness rear up in him at the thought of being asked to set aside his own feelings to not hurt those of the one who's caused him so much pain.

But then again, he could never see Snape "reaching out to him" as Mr. Malfoy put it. So, he would probably never have to worry about doing it. He took a deep breath so his heart would calm and his words would come out smoothly.

"I'll consider it. Now, goodnight, Sir."

* * *

 **I like sassy Harry and that is all I have to say. Goodnight.**

 **Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Fickle Fate:Chapter 10

 **Good afternoon my readers! It's been dreary with rain this past week and now that the sun has finally come out!-I'm still staying inside. Way to hot out.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **"Bonding," Yeah Right**

Harry hadn't gotten anymore sleep after speaking with Mr. Malfoy and instead laid in bed thinking over the rules the Lestrange brothers had pounded into him for the past two days. A number of them seemed extra ridiculous but a few made sense…for some people he guessed. Either way, it got him to a reasonable time to get up and he took a shower. The bathroom was ridiculously luxurious compared to what he was used to and he took full advantage of it while he could.

He had just finished pulling his shirt on, as always averting his eyes from the scars he could see in the mirror, when there was a knock at his door.

"Breakfast, Harry. Wake up!" The cheery voice of Rodolphus was almost enough to make Harry smile, but he was too tired and preoccupied to do so. He shuffled towards the door and opened it to reveal two smiling brothers. Harry rolled his eyes.

"How are you two morning people?" Rabastan huffed as all three walked down the corridor, Nagini slithering by Harry's feet.

"You'd probably be more happy in the morning too if you didn't spend your nights wandering around the Manor and actually slept." Harry paused, fear spiking his heart rate, and expected at least being yelled at if not hexed for 'trying to escape.' Instead, he had a brother loop an arm through each of his and get him moving again.

"We just heard Lucius explaining to our Lord why you already have your special necklace. No one's mad at you, Harry." Harry didn't quite believe that but didn't say anything. Someone was always mad at Harry, no matter what he did. He'd learned that early in his life and holding that thought in the back of his mind usually kept him safe.

When they entered the dining room, both Lord Malfoy and Draco were present along with Severus. Harry took what had become his usual seat, the one to the Dark Lord's right, and ignored the Potions Master across from him. He was pleased to see a lot of fruit on the table, some of which he didn't recognize, and began filling his plate. When his plate was almost full, he heard Voldemort's voice echo in his head:

 _"Protein is important for growing boys. I won't have you becoming a vegetarian on me. At least have some eggs."_ Harry scowled and rolled his eyes, but did as bid, filling the last open space on his plate with scrambled eggs. He never noticed the curious gaze of Severus Snape, a man still surprised by something as simple as the boy's eating habits. A few moments later, the Dark Lord actually entered the room and took the seat at the head of the table.

The man smirked smugly upon seeing the boy's plate. Harry scowled at him.

"Stay out of my head. You know I hate it when you do that." Voldemort didn't stop smiling.

"Of course I do. Why do you think I keep doing it?" With that, everyone turned to the food before them. Occasionally the comfortable quiet was broken by Voldemort checking in with his follower's projects. When everyone responded with positive news, Tom was reminded why he had chosen these specific wizards for his Inner Circle.

At the end of the meal, Voldemort turned his attention on Harry.

"You will have lessons with Lucius today. Sometimes your lessons will overlap with what Severus will be teaching you, but not today. Also," the Dark Lord handed Harry a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Think of this as a Good Faith Present." Harry stared, astounded at the front page news. The others at the table were watching the boy's reaction, since all of them knew what their Lord had done the night before.

Harry's jaw dropped, and his hands started to shake. He couldn't believe his eyes and even read through the article twice to be sure he had read it correctly.

"Is this…this is real?" Tom seemed rather pleased with himself as he nodded.

"It is. Pettigrew is dead and I have no doubt your godfather will be contacted soon with the _sincerest apologies_ of the Ministry." After a few more moments of silence, Tom raised a brow, his smile falling. "Well? Nothing to say?" Harry kept staring at the paper.

"I…anything I say would just encourage this kind of behavior wouldn't it?" Harry's voice sounded rather faint, and Voldemort scowled.

"I am not a dog, and I can assure you, you don't have that much power over me." Harry did not react with the appropriate fear that Voldemort expected, and his quiet was starting to worry everyone at the table. Suddenly, the Gryffindor dropped the paper on the table and rushed from the room.

The Lestrange brothers stood to follow, but Tom called them back. They reluctantly followed their Lord's instruction and sat back down. Instead, Voldemort turned to a certain Potions Master.

"Severus, this would be the perfect time to start… _bonding_." Snape looked like he had just sucked on a lemon, but nodded and left the room. Nagini slid up to rest her head on Tom's lap.

 _"Will Young One be alright, Tom?"_ Voldemort stroked her head as he watched his Potions Master slowly walk away.

 _"He needs to work through some emotions and it would be good for Severus to help him with that."_ Nagini was not completely convinced that this really was a good idea, but she stayed where she was.

* * *

Snape found the boy…his son, conveniently in the room Lucius was going to start teaching him. Harry was pacing back and forth and running his fingers through his hair and tugging. Severus suddenly felt a sense of deja vu and recalled a time when Lily- No. He would not allow himself to be swept up in memories.

As Severus opened his mouth to address the young man, his friend's voice echoed in his head. They had been talking over the last couple of days about how he could…be more open to the boy. Snape took a deep breath and prepared himself.

" _Harry,"_ he said through clenched teeth. The boy stopped sharply and turned to glare at him.

"What are you doing here?" Snape's eye twitched in irritation.

"Clearly the magical behavioral manipulation our Lord put an end to didn't get rid of your cheek and disrespect." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here, _Sir_? Does Tom think we should bond or something?" If Snape was surprised by the boy's insight he didn't show it. Then again, the link between Potter and the Dark Lord went both ways as far as he knew.

"Something of that sort." Snape sighed and sat down. He had been up late into the night and early morning brewing potions. He was tired. "One would think you would be more… _happy_ to hear that the man who betrayed your mother and James Potter was dead and that, that wretched god-mutt of yours is free." Harry growled and tugged on his hair again.

"I am…that's the problem." Snape's face clearly said how idiotic he thought Harry sounded at that moment.

"Explain." Harry huffed again and practically fell down into the chair across from the Potions Master.

"I'm…I'm happy a man is _dead_. Isn't that…I don't know, _bad!?"_ Before Severus could think of anything to say, Harry continued. "All through the school year, I thought I was going insane. I was so angry all of the time and I kept having visions where I was killing someone and happy about it. I thought…I thought I was turning into Voldemort. I was terrified. Now, the anger is mostly gone…at least, it feels more like my own anger and not some out of control rage. But now I'm feeling what is actually _me_ and not some spell you all say Dumbledore cast on me and…and I'm _happy_ that Peter Pettigrew is _dead_." Rant done, Harry only then realized that he was breathing heavily.

Severus sat quiet for a few moments, unsure what to say, but when it became clear that the boy was devolving into a panic attack, he acted. Snape stepped forward and kneeled in front of the young man's chair. After a moment's hesitation, he reached up and grasped the boy's shoulders tightly.

"You need to calm down. Slow your breathing. _No._ You just quickened it- Calm down! _Harry!"_ Hearing his first name shouted by his hated Potions Professor shocked Harry enough that he stopped breathing for a second. It automatically dropped him out of his haze and he was able to gain control of his breathing once more. The room became quiet as he calmed down and then they both realized the positions they were in: Snape kneeling in front of him grasping his shoulders and Harry leaning forward and having a fistful of the grown wizard's shirt.

Both sprung apart and wouldn't look at each other. Severus turned as if he was perusing the books in the room.

"Does this…happen often? Panic attacks?" Harry was wary of discussing such a topic with the man, fearing he would use it to taunt him in the future. However, he also knew the man could find out whether Harry told him or not.

"I…they used to happen pretty often…before I started going to Hogwarts. This was..my, well actually second one, since then." Snape raised a brow.

"Second? And when was the first?" If Harry wasn't feeling uncomfortable before, he certainly was now. As a defense mechanism, he lashed out.

"Oh what do you care? You've done your job. We've talked about why I left breakfast without thanking Voldemort." Severus felt his automatic response kick in before he could stop himself. He sneered at the young man.

"How could I forget? Mr. Potter controls when all conversations start and end. Perhaps this is why your grades are abysmal. You prefer to leave jobs half done. Just like your-" Severus stopped when he realized that he couldn't use his favorite insult anymore. Harry glared at the Head of Slytherin House and clenched his fists.

"Can't say it can you? You'd be insulting yourself, wouldn't you? You know, for all the times you accused me of doing something horrible 'just like my father,' they seemed to apply to you: being a bully, craving attention, picking fights. Your dramatic entrances and exits see to the second one. The other two are even more obvious, seeing as you started bullying an eleven year old as soon as you met him!" Severus stood and he loomed over Harry with a menacing glare.

" _Enough._ "

"I say, I must agree," drawled a cold voice by the door. Father and son turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing in the doorway with one unimpressed eyebrow raised. Harry, anger rushed back down into his chest and feeling quite chastised, he looked at the ground with blood turning his cheeks red in embarrassment. Severus would never show such a thing so blatantly, but he felt much the same way. "If you two are quite finished, I would like to start my lessons." Snape nodded and left without another word.

Harry continued to sit and glared at the floor as Lucius Malfoy approached. The older wizard did not speak for a few moments.

"I take it my advice from last night is not to be heeded." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't him _reaching out._ That was him following orders." Lucius raised his usual unimpressed brow at the boy.

"I understand that teenagers are prone to attitude and disrespect, but such things will not be tolerated during our lessons. If they come out, I have a number of approved punishments lined up such as writing lines." Lucius did not understand the way his pupil suddenly tensed and clenched his hands into hard fists at the mere mention of _lines_ but dismissed it quickly. Detentions were the bane of students everywhere and associated punishments were quickly hated. Given how often the young man was in detention, according to both Severus and his son, surely Harry was well familiar with the punishment.

The Malfoy Lord would have sighed dramatically if it wouldn't have been unbecoming of him. He could clearly see his student pulling into himself and shutting down. This boy was the son of his best friend and had been there for his son even though they considered each other school yard nemesis. Needless to say, Lucius wanted to get to know the young man, not just do his duty.

"With that said…" Lucius waited until the boy actually looked up and met his eyes. "I want you to ask questions. Don't just sit there and stare dully at me. Engage. Question. Debate me if you so wish. In fact, I think it would be a fantastic use of our time to debate over certain topics. Our first few lessons will focus primarily on a much more honest version of Dark Arts history, and starting next week we'll begin adding Defense. Severus's dueling sessions will help you put the spells you will learn into practice. Now…" Lucius sat down across from his pupil and leaned forward. "I want you to tell me what you know about the Dark Arts. What have people told you? How do you believe it began? I know this past year your education was _severely_ lacking thanks to a certain pink Ministry monstrosity, but you must know something."

Harry was quiet for a few moments. He seemed to come to the conclusion that Lucius really did want to hear what he had to say and finally answered.

"All…all I ever learned was that the Dark Arts are illegal and the witches and wizards who use them do so to hurt and kill other people. They…they're evil and everyone on your side of the war uses them. Voldemort used them to kill my parents and Bellatrix Lestrange used the Dark Arts to torture Neville Longbottom's parents." Lucius wasn't surprised in the slightest. In fact it was all that he had expected to hear, and he told the boy as much.

"Before I begin explaining the politics of the war and how all of this began, there are some core concepts you need to know. The first and foremost concept you need to understand is that magic is not Dark or Light. It just is..."

* * *

 **So we've started getting into the attempted reconciliation (you saw how well that went) and talks about Dark vs Light and more fun philosophy stuff that I am sure will spark some fun debates. Please keep in mind this is a work of fiction, and it is just for fun.**

 **Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Fickle Fate:Chapter 11

 **We're already near the end of June! How did this happen!? Please read the end notes!**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Lessons and Plans**

Harry's mind was spinning. As soon as he had finished with Lucius Malfoy, he met Nagini and wandered out to the garden she had shown him. Rodolphus and Rabastan had expected Harry's lesson to be longer and weren't there to follow him but, Harry was barely aware of his surroundings and didn't notice. The pond and trees he stared at were a blur as he tried to grasp all he had been told.

 _"Magic is all about intent. It is not sentient like most tend to believe, but it can make inanimate objects sentient to some extent given a certain level of power." Harry couldn't say that he was absolutely shocked by what Lord Malfoy was telling him, but it did shake his foundation. "The majority of so called dark spells that you know were originally created with the intent to help, not harm." Here Harry was not convinced._

" _Really? So Crucio was supposed to, what, tickle?" Lucius shook his head._

 _"I will give you some reading on the subject, but a number of them were created by Healers. The Cruciatus curse was supposed to help people suffering from seizures. It would stimulate the central nervous system in a way to counteract a dangerous seizure and aid the patient. In fact, many original recipients of the treatment reported that the spell merely felt like a buzzing under the skin. As I said, intent matters. Someone put too much power behind the spell and had an ill will towards the recipient and the spell caused harm. It's beneficial healing aspects were soon lost to history and politics and more and more bad people began using it to torture others."_

Harry scowled at the memory. He picked up a rock and pulled his arm back to throw it…but then he couldn't. He might hit a bird or one of the fish in the pond with his luck. With a sigh, Harry dropped the rock and put his head in his hands.

 _"Young One, what is wrong?"_ Harry absentmindedly reached out a hand to stroke Nagini's head.

" _Mr. Malfoy told me some things that mean I've been lied to a lot…but how can I trust him?"_ Nagini bumped Harry's hip as she slid the upper part of her body onto the bench Harry was seated on.

 _"He has protected Tom and you though you do not know it. He does not hurt you."_ At that, Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.

 _"He's hurt me plenty. He was going to kill me in my Second Year if it hadn't been for Dobby, his house elf."_ Nagini did not know what to say to that so she just stayed quiet. A few minutes of sitting in silence later and they heard someone stomping down the path towards them.

"Mr. Potter." Harry groaned as he heard Snape's drawl. The man came closer and glared down at him. "We have a potions lesson today, a fact that you seem to have conveniently forgotten. Instead I had to deal with frantic Lestranges and trudge through the woods to find you myself. Come with me." With that, the man spun and dramatically stalked away.

Harry sighed and stood to follow, knowing it would just make things worse if he didn't. Nagini followed him.

 _"All will be well, Young One. Potions Man smelled more scared than angry."_ Harry's brows furrowed at that, confused as to why Snape would be scared but then shook it off. The man was probably scared that Voldemort would take it out on him should Harry go missing.

When they made it back to the Manor, they walked down numerous flights of stairs and down a long hallway before coming to a door. Stepped inside, Harry wrinkled his nose as the familiar smell hit him. He could already feel his heart rate picking up at the thought of doing potions.

Nagini slithered over to a dark corner and curled up to observe the proceedings. Meanwhile, Severus swept his cloak off and laid it out of the way on a chair in a different corner. The Potion's Master rolled his eyes and motioned for Harry move towards one of the cauldrons.

"You should know by now that they don't bite, Mr. Potter. Since you've already wasted enough of my time, I am changing my plans from a Second Year potion to a First Year potion. I will fetch your ingredients. Read the information under _Handwriting Improvement_." Harry huffed but slumped down onto the available stool and flicked the textbook open to the right page.

The potion was pretty straight forward, and according to the text, wouldn't take long to brew. It was supposed to steady the drinker's hands for the purpose of improving penmanship. Harry was shocked that wasn't a daily potion that all students had to take. Surely the professors were frustrated with all of the terrible handwriting that passed across their desks. Harry was well aware how Snape felt about it.

"Here. Any utensils you need are in the drawer to your left. Begin." Harry startled at Snape's entrance but bit back a rude comment. He simply pulled out what he would need and got started.

Within thirty seconds he was being yelled at.

"It is a slug, not a zucchini, Mr. Potter! Where on earth did you learn to chop like that?!" Harry clenched his jaw.

"Cooking for the Dursleys," Harry spat out. He was shocked he admitted it, but then remembered that Snape likely already knew from rummaging around in his brain so much. Severus only huffed.

"Clearly you made no effort to study the Lab Techniques booklet and distinguish between cooking and brewing." Harry stopped with his knife stuck in the large slug, his brows drawn together.

"What are you talking about? What booklet?" Harry tried to wrack his brain for whatever Snape was talking about but came up blank. Sure, Hermione had an extra book out when she studied for potions but…it was Hermione. Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy in suspicion, as if trying to see if Harry was messing with him or not.

"It was on the _Required Books_ list sent out each year. It explains proper technique for preparing any ingredients." Harry's mouth dropped open.

"What?! That would have been bloody helpful!" Severus pursed his lips at the language, but surprisingly managed to hold his tongue.

"Indeed," he said instead. "Are you trying to tell me you never knew about the second book?" Harry nodded, his jaw starting to ache from how hard he was clenching.

"My books were always sent to me so I wouldn't have to go out in public or Mrs. Weasley would pick them up for me. Bloody hell! Now I get why 'Mione always got so frustrated when I botched easy potions!" Severus was confused to say the least. He wasn't surprised someone got the boy's books for him, another one of Dumbledore's pamperings to 'keep the boy safe.'"

"She did not mention the book to you or offer to teach you proper technique?" Harry's cheeks darkened and he muttered his answer to the table.

"'Mione already had to teach me how to write with a quill. Besides, I always thought I bungled the potions because Malfoy and his cronies threw stuff in them." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Clearly, the boy did not receive any of the preliminary/introductory instruction most Muggleborns were given. Usually the professor sent to inform the future students' guardians would take care of such things. He should have known, considering _Hagrid_ was sent to retrieve Harry.

"Within that book, among other things, is a spell to prevent that very thing from happening." Harry threw the knife down in frustration, knocking the slug he had been cutting onto the floor.

"You have got to be kidding me! I was failing your stupid class because no one picked up one really important book for me!?" Severus tried to reign in his anger.

"While it is suspicious that you were missing the same book year after year, you should have read the list carefully and noticed you were one short." Harry threw his hands up.

"I never saw the bloody list! I- You know what fine. Do you have the book here? I'll read it now." Snape was perplexed at the sudden change in attitude and sudden interest in proper brewing technique, but decided to hold his tongue. He was curious to see where this would go.

Severus walked over to one of the many book shelves and pulled out a slim, well-worn book. He passed it over to Harry and the boy immediately sat down and started reading it. Severus waited and watched as Harry's eyes grew wide. The boy dropped the book onto the table, dropped his head into the open pages and groaned.

"Are you serious? Are you actually serious? I always thought you just hated me and were being petty! I didn't know you cut different species of slugs different ways or that you even cut them like _that!_ " Snape rolled his eyes.

"If you stop the dramatics, I would like to continue with the lesson." Harry slowly pulled his head up and, teeth clenched in frustration, nodded. Severus banished the ingredients on the table, causing Harry to look confused.

"I thought you said we would continue with the lesson." Snape sighed and walked back into the supply closet. When he emerged it was with buckets full of different slugs.

"I did, but our plans have changed _again._ You have not been given the knowledge your fellow students had so I will teach you from the beginning. You've read the chapter on slug preparation. I want you to prepare each of these to proper specifications and until I am satisfied that your skill is much improved." He set the large buckets down in front of Harry and the boy stared at them in trepidation.

"Sir…won't that just waste a bunch of ingredients? You always went on about how expensive they were." Snape snorted.

"Of course you remember _that_ from my class. _Some_ of these are expensive and some I could simply wander about in the gardens of the manor and catch a month's supply. I won't tell you which are which, so you'll just have to take care with all of them. Begin." Harry let out a breath and then reached into the closest bucket. He pulled out a slug, looked at the book by his elbow again and started cutting.

* * *

"We should have started your plan days ago! Who knows what they've done to Harry in the time we just been hanging about," Ron hissed at his brothers. The twins crossed their arms over their chests.

"You two need your wands and Mum's got them under lock and key! Do you really want to just pop into the Dark Lord's throne room without a wand?!" Fred was just as anxious as any of them to get Harry back, but the plan wouldn't work if half of the rescue party didn't have wands.

"If you two would actually pretend to do what they want they'd be more inclined to believe you and you'd have your wands back by now," Fred accused the couple. Over a week had passed since Dumbledore had sold Harry to Lucius Malfoy and they still hadn't enacted their rescue plan. There hadn't been any announcements in the papers about Harry Potter's body showing up anywhere, so they were hopeful.

"Well we might just have to take them at this point! You've got plenty of prank products. Isn't there something in your bag of tricks that will help?" They were all so desperate at this point that they didn't tease Hermione for suggesting stealing. George, who had been quiet up to that point, finally spoke.

"I heard Dumbledore and Mum talking. I think the Headmaster is planning something." He spoke quietly, even though they were in a secluded part of the house with a Privacy Spell up.

"Planning something? Like what?" George pursed his lips and shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but he's getting more and more frantic when he searches the newspaper in the mornings. It's like he's hoping to read something about Voldemort or maybe even Harry. He and Mum have been having a bunch of hushed conversations, and Mad Eye and Shacklebolt stopped by yesterday." They all soaked in the new information and were indeed concerned.

A creak on the stairs startled them, and George canceled the Privacy Spell. Fred pulled out his Exploding Snaps set in case someone wandered in, and they all held their breath.

" _Albus, we've got to get him now. There hasn't been any news about the boy's death. They're probably turning him dark as we speak."_ Shacklebolt's voice drifted up the stairs and the four teenagers listened closely.

" _I agree, Kingsley. Gather the Order members. I'm going to announce that Harry Potter has been kidnapped by Death Eaters while on holiday with his relatives. You'll need to hold Sirius back. He's too much of a wild card and would do anything to protect his Merlin-damned godson."_ The two wizards kept talking as they moved off and the four teens sat back. They weren't sure whether to cheer or scream.

Harry was going to be rescued, but only to go right back into the hands of the people who sold him in the first place.

* * *

 **The part where the unforgivable spells were originally created for non-evil purposes was inspired by a story I read. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called or who wrote it but if you do, please leave a comment with the information! It was a great story from what I can remember.**

 **Also, I haven't read the HP books in a long time and can't tell you if the whole book-list thing for school is true or not so please just go with it. Take my "canon" with a grain of salt.**

 **Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Fickle Fate:Chapter 12

 **Things are coming together for medical school and it is both scary and exciting! Thank goodness there is my fan fiction to keep me relatively sane. XD**

 **A review was kind enough to point me to a story that has a similar idea with the unforgivable spells. I have not read this story but I did peak at the first chapter and it looks really interesting. Check it out: Never Alone, Never Again by Bored Beyond Belief.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Returned**

Harry was sweating with the effort to control his magic. His wand was sitting next to him just in case something went wrong and he had to fix it quick. He had decided to keep trying to learn wandless magic just in case his wand got taken away again.

His lessons had continued these past few days, more or less without a hitch. He continued to learn rules and how to sit and stand properly. He continued to have his beliefs questioned and challenged by Lucius Malfoy. The strangest thing of all though, was he continued his potions lessons and was actually improving.

Ever since Snape showed him that "Proper Techniques" book, his technique had greatly improved from where it had been originally. If Harry didn't think it was absurd, he would say Severus Snape was reluctantly impressed in his skill.

With a frustrated sigh, Harry gave up on the spell he was attempting and fell back against his bed. Nagini hissed in indignation as she was jostled from her spot laying behind him. Harry rolled his eyes at the dramatic snake and closed them in exhaustion. The book had warned him about the effects of draining one's magic, but he hadn't payed much attention to them. Now he was really feeling them though.

A knock on the door followed by someone coming in made Harry groan.

"Oh don't be like that, Little Lion." Harry was not happy with the new nickname the Lestrange brothers had come up with for him. They apparently found it adorable now when he tried to scowl at them or tried to intimidate them in general. Rabastan compared him to a lion cub learning to growl and so began the start of 'Annoy Harry with every nickname possible until we hit the jackpot.' Little Lion won and Harry just couldn't get them to stop.

"Get up, Little Lion. The Dark Lord wants to talk to you." Harry's heart rate spiked a little bit and he sat up quickly. Voldemort only ever spoke to him at meals; Harry was never summoned to him in the middle of the afternoon. Rodolphus laughed at Harry's fear.

"Relax. He just wants to ask you how your lessons are going. You're not in trouble." Harry felt somewhat relieved though he still made sure his body guards knew the grand amount of effort he went through dragging himself out of bed. Harry scooped up his wand and followed them out of his room, Nagini telling him that she was going to nap in the warm spot he left on his bed.

The whole walk over to Voldemort's office Harry thought about how ridiculous it was that he was jealous of a snake. It didn't take them long before they were standing in front of the door and Rodolphus knocked. They were bid enter and Harry nearly choked on air when he saw Big Bad Dark Lord Voldemort…wearing reading glasses.

Tom actually smiled upon seeing him and told Harry to sit in the chair across from his desk. He dismissed Harry's bodyguards and continued to smile creepily at Harry. It wasn't that the smile itself was creepy, more the fact that _this_ man was not I'm-going-to-murder-you-and-like-it-smiling was creepy.

"I've been hearing relatively good things about you from your tutors, Harry. How do you perceive your lessons thus far?" If Harry didn't know who was sitting across from him, he would swear the man would make a great Headmaster.

"Uh…fine, I guess?" Tom looked far too amused.

"You guess? From what I understand you have been attending them. So, you must have formed some opinion at this point." Harry continued to stare at him like he had grown a second head, and Voldemort sighed. He took off his reading glasses and smirked smugly at the young man across from him.

"Better?" Harry actually visibly relaxed as the Dark Lord acted more "normal."

"Yeah, actually. Since when do you smile like a normal person?" Harry's teeth audibly clacked together he slammed his mouth closed so fast. Tom didn't pull out his wand to curse him and instead barked out a bitter laugh.

"I…" Riddle paused and thought for a moment. He stared at Harry until the boy grew even more unnerved and then finally spoke. "I am going to share a little something with you, Harry, and I want you to wait until I finish." At Harry's curious nod, Voldemort began. "Before all of this started, the war, the fighting, the prophecies, I had a vision for a flourishing, but safe Wizarding World. I was running for office, gathering political followers among the Pure Bloods. I was happy, some could even say normal. Then Dumbledore came along and started using dark tactics to ruin my political climb. Followers began to retaliate, things got nastier and somehow we all found ourselves in this mess. I won't say I didn't do my fair share of bad things, Harry. I'm not trying to paint myself as a saint, but I want you to understand that I never actually intended for all of this to start." Voldemort stood and walked over to the window on the other side of the room.

"As the fighting took an even darker turn and _children_ started being killed, I searched for a way to give myself power, to make myself stronger so I could put an end to all of the bloodshed. What I found was dark and I refused to even think of using it…but when I made a mistake during another confrontation between our sides, I acted without thinking. Once I began I couldn't stop and with each ritual I lost more of myself. I lost my sanity, my humanity and anything that tied me to the man I once was." Tom stared out of the window silently for a few minutes, the only sound in the room being a clock ticking on a small side table. Finally, Riddle turned back to face him.

"That night in the graveyard, Wormtail chose the wrong ritual. It brought me back exactly as the maniac I once was, when it should have completely restored me to my full self. Lucius and a few of my devoted followers were brave enough to convince me to try the correct ritual and it helped considerably. As the days continue I find myself feeling more than rage and pride again. I feel myself becoming the man I once was. This is also in part because of your presence." Harry's mind was spinning. He didn't know what to think about what he was being told, didn't know if he could trust it.

"Me? What do I have to do with this? Is it because of the prophecy?" Tom bowed his head trying to decide if he should just tell the boy everything. When he finally opened his mouth, the ward alarms went off.

His head flew up and he marched over to the door.

"Stay in here," he called over his shoulder. Harry's mouth fell open and he automatically rushed to the door as it slammed and locked shut behind the Dark Lord. He banged on it with his fists which was as ineffective as expected. Pressing his ear to the door Harry could hear shouting and the sound of spells flying.

Harry didn't know what was going on, but he knew he could not stay put. He whipped out his wand and tried Alohomora. It did absolutely nothing. Harry tried every unlocking spell he knew and still nothing worked. He could hear the fighting getting closer even without pressing his ear to the door. Harry felt a vicious spike of fear and wished desperately that he could _Just Get Out!_

The door swung open. Harry blinked at it for a solid five seconds, not realizing that his magic had wandlessly answered his plea. The next moment he hurried out and had to duck immediately as a spell rebounded past his head. Harry pressed himself against a wall and tried to catch his breath.

Alright so maybe the fighting was a lot closer than he thought.

Harry didn't have time to get out of the way as a scarily familiar voice shouted Bombarda! The wall he was against blew apart and he went flying down the stairs. Harry landed hard on his shoulder and his head bounced against the floor. Ringing filled his ears and he could only make out random flashes of light around him. He tried to get his bearings and when someone suddenly grabbed his arms he tried to fight them off.

"Wotcher, Harry! I've got you! Hold on!" Before Harry could say anything, Tonks whisked him away from Malfoy Manor with a portkey and everything went black.

* * *

Harry's brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton while goblins were chiseling away at his skull, altogether an unpleasant sensation. He groaned and tried to open his eyes. He was, thankful that wherever he was it was dark. Harry started taking stock of his body and realized he was sore all over. His ribs and shoulder especially ached, though his head was still the worst.

Harry eventually pushed himself to sitting and groped around for his glasses. It felt like he was in a bed, so he figured his glasses would be on a nightstand nearby. His suspicions were correct and he quickly slipped the spectacles on.

As Harry peered around the room, now that he could see, he realized he recognized it. Harry jumped out of bed, ignoring the way his body protested, and flung open the door. He opened his mouth to call out but choked. Memories from not even two weeks ago came flooding back to him. He remembered Dumbledore selling him and dragging him away from his friends, kicking and screaming, and didn't know what to think about his current situation.

A door opened down the hall and there was a squeak and Harry found himself being squeezed to death in a hug and choking on a bunch of hair. Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione just as tight. He could feel her crying into his neck.

His throat tightened as he fought back his own tears, and he was barely able to make out Ron coming out into the hallway. The red-head didn't hesitate to join in on the hug, and all three of them stood there just holding each other.

After a long while, Harry finally pulled back. He couldn't stop smiling at his two best friends.

"I missed you guys so much. I have so much to tell you-" Harry was cut off by a wail coming from the stairs. The boy barely had time to turn and stand defensively in front of his friends before a red-haired mass collided with him.

Harry's moan of pain at being jostled was muffled by the chest his face was suddenly smothered in.

"Oh, Harry, my dear! How good it is to see you awake! We were so worried about you! Why didn't you two tell me he was up?" Mrs. Weasley was glaring at Ron and Hermione and Harry felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. Molly saw a large bruise on his temple and gasped dramatically. "Oh my poor boy! What have those monsters done to you?! Come, I've got some soup going and a headache reliever for you." Harry found himself being guided down the stairs and towards the kitchen on Grimmauld place.

He didn't understand what was going on. Mrs. Weasley had just stood there while Mad Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt dragged him away. She had acted like she hated him for days, before that happened, not that Harry really blamed her for that given what he had done. But now she's suddenly all loving again?

Harry looked back at his friends who were quietly following them down. They hadn't said a word and Harry was getting concerned. Harry was pushed down into an uncomfortable seat at the dining table and Mrs. Weasley began puttering about. Hermione and Ron sat themselves on either side of him. They still didn't say anything, but Hermione reached out and took his hand, making Harry feel a little less disoriented.

Molly set a bowl of soup in front of Harry with a big smile.

"There you go, Dear. Eat up, and I'll get that Headache Reliever for you." The soup smelled amazing and brought a smile to Harry's face despite everything. He happily dug in, trying to stave off the inevitable panic attack at everything being turned upside again.

"Are you really okay, Mate," Ron asked quietly. Harry paused. Ron was never quiet; it broke through his haze.

"I…I don't really know. With everything that happened…I don't know what to think anymore." Hermione tightened her grip on his hand and he could see tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.

"Harry…" her voice broke. "We thought they were going to kill you right away, but…we had a plan, with the twins. We were going to-" Molly came back in at that moment, and Hermione slammed her mouth shut. Mrs. Weasley eyed them curiously as she set the potion down in front of Harry.

"Is everything alright, Dears?" Hermione nodded and gave a shaky smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. I was just telling Harry how glad we are that the Order was able to rescue him…how Dumbledore planned the whole thing." Molly's face lit up with a smile, even as Harry nearly choked on his soup at Hermione's words.

"Ah yes. Albus was absolutely distraught when we couldn't get to you sooner. You see he had this plan and…well, I suppose it would be better hearing it from him, hmm?" Harry could only nod dumbly, not even able to come up with the barest hint of an idea as to what Dumbledore's "plan" had been. Maybe…maybe it was all just a terrible nightmare and he was waking up.

A loud hoot broke the awkward quiet and suddenly a white owl came swooping into the room and landed on the back of Harry's chair. Hedwig grabbed chunks of Harry's hair and pulled, hooting all the while. Tears sprung to Harry's eyes as he turned and pet his beloved familiar.

"Hey, girl. I missed you too." Ron smiled.

"Sirius has been taking good care of her, Mate. She was right depressed when you were gone." Harry's throat tightened at the thought of his godfather and speak of the devil...

"Harry! You're awake!" Harry didn't even try to stop the tears as he bolted from his chair and fell into Sirius's arms. Harry cried and cried, and if he didn't let go for fifteen minutes, well…Snape wasn't there to mock him for it.

* * *

 **Well Harry's back in the hands of the "Light." Let's see how long this lasts...**

 **Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Fickle Fate:Chapter 13

 **Hope everyone is having a lovely summer! :) Here is a new chapter for you all.**

 **A review was kind enough to point me to a story that has a similar idea with the unforgivable spells. I have not read this story but I did peak at the first chapter and it looks really interesting. Check it out: Never Alone, Never Again by Bored Beyond Belief.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Missing**

"What happened?! How did they take him!?" Voldemort had been enraged that the Order of the Phoenix had somehow managed to attack the Manor. However, after the metaphorical smoke had cleared, a few small players dead and injured on each side, he had found that Harry was gone.

Lucius winced at the outburst and banished another body to the dungeons for the House Elves to take care of.

"My Lord, we believe the Aurors of the group used their Ward Breaking spells to get through and a Portkey to get Harry out in the midst of the battle." Voldemort nearly snapped his wand trying not to Crucio Rabastan for giving him the news. Though he was coming back to his old self, his anger and torturing ways weren't completely gone.

"Father?" Everyone turned when Draco Malfoy came around the corner. The boy looked a bit grimy and Lucius knew his son must have gotten caught in the crossfire at some point. The Malfoy Lord abandoned his duties for the moment and wrapped his arms around his son.

"Draco, are you alright?" Draco seemed startled by the sudden, and very public, physical affection, but he quickly sunk into his father's embrace.

"I'm fine. What about Potter?" Lucius pulled back, and at his father's confused look, Draco explained. "I came down the hall when I heard the ward alarms go off," he could tell by his father's pinched expression that the man wasn't happy that he had walked _toward_ danger. "I saw Potter run out of Lord Voldemort's office and almost get hit by a stray curse. I was coming towards him when a Bombarda exploded the wall he was against and sent him flying. I was thrown back as well and didn't see him afterwards."

Lucius's anger spiked at knowing his son was hurt during the attack and the way Harry's so-called _rescuers_ had so carelessly went about their mission.

"Draco, Harry was taken by the Order. This dreadful mess was their attempt at a rescue mission." Draco went quiet. He didn't know what to say. The Gryffindor certainly wasn't his friend, but from what he had heard about and from Harry the past week or so and about Dumbledore and the Order over the _years_ , he knew this wasn't good. He was saved from saying anything when Severus stumbled into the room. His godfather had blood slowly rolling down his temple.

"My Lord, we sustained four causalities and a dozen injured. Mr. Pott- eh, Harry, was not in your office. Is he well?" Luckily the 'Outer Circle' had been present at the Manor and waiting for a meeting with the Dark Lord when the Order arrived. The casualties and injuries were primarily amongst the much more expendable followers. Snape snarled and wiped the blood off of his face as it began to ooze into his eye. He had done his usual post-battle sweep and hadn't found his son where he was supposed to be. No doubt the boy had done something foolish. His head was feeling slightly woozy from a blow he had taken, but he had more important things to focus on.

"Severus, the Order succeeded in taking him. He somehow got out of my office and according to Young Draco, he was thrown back by a stray Bombarda. Do you know where they would take him?" Snape felt the blood drain from his face and rage flared to life in his cold chest.

"They would take him to- to…to that…in…Blast! That Old Fool has already taken me out of the Fidelis! I can't remember!" Snape felt the great urge to throw something but there was nothing around.

"Severus, calm yourself. We will get him back." The other members of the Inner Circle raised brows at the Dark Lord's calm manner, since the man had only just been raging himself. None of them said anything though, and Voldemort turned his attention to Lord Malfoy.

"Lucius, I'm sure the Minister would love to hear that his good friend was recently attacked by rogue Aurors abusing their authority." Lucius's lips curved into a cruel smile.

"Yes, My Lord." Lucius squeezed his son close once more before walking to the nearest floo. Draco watched his father leave and then looked at his godfather, still in a state of shock over everything he was hearing and seeing.

Rabastan walked up to the still-bleeding Potions Master and laid a hand on the man's shoulder.

"C'mon, Severus, let's get you fixed up." When Snape sneered and tried to pull away, Rabastan rolled his eyes and just held on tighter. "And you and Harry still refuse to acknowledge that you're related. You're both stubborn gits who think no one cares for you. Now let's go, before Lucius comes back to yell at you for bleeding all over his carpet." As they walked off they could hear Severus muttering about all the dead bodies leaving stains on the carpets.

Draco was startled from his thoughts by the Dark Lord laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Go with them, Draco. Let Rabastan check you over for a concussion. I will send your father to you when he returns." Draco was once again shocked, this time by the honest concern he heard in the _Dark Lord's_ voice. He could only nod dumbly and then do as he was told.

He had a lot to process.

* * *

Harry woke feeling groggy and with his head pounding even worse than before. He winced when he opened his eyes and startled when something moved behind his back.

"Sorry, kiddo. You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you. How are you feeling?" Harry lifted his head from Sirius' chest, his cheeks turning pink.

"My head hurts a bit…but I'm fine. Sorry for falling asleep on you." Sirius smiled at him and ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"It's not a problem, kiddo. I don't mind." Sirius sighed. "It's times like these that I wish your parents were here, Harry. You would have fallen asleep on your dad like that and Lily would have taken a picture. I would have teased him endlessly about it." Sirius sighed again, but then gave Harry a sad smile. "Look at me, getting all melancholy. Let me get you a Headache Reliever. Oh, and I need to let Remus know you're here and awake. Dumbledore sent him off on _another_ mission." Sirius growled the last part and left to get Harry the potion, patting him on the back on his way out.

It wasn't even ten seconds later, Harry was suddenly surrounded by Hermione and Ron and the twins.

"Harry, we really need to talk. Come upstairs with us." Harry's brows pulled together at their shifty expressions but he nodded.

"Ok. Is everything alright, guys?" He looked at the twins and an image of them holding back his crying and yelling friends flashed before his eyes. Harry automatically flinched back when George reached forward to pat his arm, causing George to grimace. Harry ignored it and made to follow the four of them upstairs. They were interrupted by a painfully familiar man.

"Ah, Harry my boy! How great it is to see you up and well. Would you mind coming with me for a few moments? There are a few things we need to discuss." Harry was hesitant, but there wasn't much he could do. Refusing the Headmaster likely wouldn't end well. He gave his friends a shaky smile and then walked towards the old wizard. Dumbledore smiled fondly at him, but Harry still shuddered when the man laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come, my boy. We won't be disturbed in the sitting room."

Harry followed the Headmaster to the indicated room and sat stiffly across from him. The boy almost made eye contact, when he remembered a lesson he had had with Lucius Malfoy not long ago.

 _"Part of protecting yourself is avoiding eye contact. Don't stare off into space when speaking to someone you suspect of being a Legilimens, but don't make direct eye contact. Stare at their forehead. That way you are still facing them and_ _look_ _like you are making contact without actually doing so. There are very few true Legilimens, but Severus and the Headmaster are both known to use the skill."_

Harry was still feeling very confused about who to trust and believe at the moment, but he figured better safe then sorry. So, he focussed on the Headmaster's forehead and didn't make direct eye contact. Automatically, he could see Dumbledore's eyes narrow, though the man kept a smile on his face.

"First off, Harry, I would like to apologize for not telling you the plan sooner. However, we had to make it believable." Dumbledore took a moment to observe the boy across from him and was not pleased at what he saw. The boy was anything but beaten down and starved. "For some time now, I have found myself questioning Severus Snape's loyalty. I feared that he was drawing away from us and being seduced by the Dark magic of the Dark Lord. Similarly, I felt you were ready for more responsibility. I didn't know how to bestow you with more duties until the opportunity presented itself after the battle at the Ministry. It became quite clear to me that Snape had betrayed us. He deliberately failed to teach you Occlumency properly, leaving you open for Voldemort's manipulations. We had lost our spy in the Dark Lord's forces, and we needed a new in. That's when I saw our chance."

Harry was dumbstruck. This was…this was a load of hogwash, and yet…he knew that not even three weeks ago he would have believed every single word the Headmaster said without question. Now though…he still didn't know what to think about the supposed "Dark Side" of the war, but he couldn't completely trust the "Light Side" either. Dumbledore didn't seem to notice Harry's skepticism and kept laying it on.

"I knew neither Snape nor the Dark Lord would suspect you as a spy and Lucius Malfoy gave me the perfect opening. I feared if you knew that Severus would quickly find you out with Legilimency, so unfortunately, we had to make you seem unwilling. I hope you understand, my boy." Harry's throat was getting tight as he suddenly felt so unmoored. For the past two weeks, Voldemort and his Inner Circle had been trying to convince him that everything he knew was a lie. He had fought against it so vehemently, but now…now it finally became real to him. He cleared his throat as best he could.

"Y-yes, Sir. I understand. If you had told me…then Snape would have told Voldemort and I would be dead. I was an…effective spy because _I_ didn't even know I was one." Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Exactly, my boy! Exactly! I knew you would understand. Now, Harry, you must tell me what you discovered while there. I know it might be difficult to relive the experience, but please try." Harry panicked for a moment, unsure what to do. Again he felt conflicted between what he thought he knew and skepticism of his entire life at Hogwarts.

Before he hesitated any longer, Harry nodded and started talking. He didn't tell the truth of what happened…not completely, that is. One thing the Lestrange brothers had drilled into his head was partial truths…

 _There are very few people a witch or wizard should trust in the world, very few that will ever know the full truth about you. Those that believe they have complete trust are the easiest to manipulate with falsehoods. Those that are more wary will take partial truths better than total lies. Times are such that partial truths float around the air more often than complete lies. Learn to wield them wisely and you will find your true friends._

The Headmaster pressed a few issues and Harry had to scramble for answers. He knew Dumbledore was suspicious of the fact that he hadn't been tortured, but Harry played it off as best he could. He told Dumbledore that Voldemort was trying to "play nice" and get him to switch sides, but Harry didn't mention the lessons or anything about Snape 'being his father.'

Finally, after what felt like forever, Albus released him with a painted on smile. It took all of Harry's willpower not to fly from the room. When he fast-walked out he nearly bowled his friends over. They had clearly been trying to eavesdrop but it hadn't been successful given the Silencing Wards Dumbledore had put up.

"Harry! What does that old man think he is doing, keeping you away from your friends? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! Oh and here's your Headache Reliever." Sirius pushed the vial of potion into Harry's hand as he went by. Harry blinked and his godfather was gone and yelling at the Headmaster. The young Gryffindor had barely even seen him in the hallway when he came out. Harry shook his head to clear it, downed the potion, then grabbed Ron and Hermione's wrists, pulling them after him.

"You guys come too," he called over his shoulder to the twins. Soon, all five of them were ensconced in a room on the top floor. They sat in a circle on the ground and Harry suddenly found himself having a hard time figuring out what to say.

"I…I…first, I want to know what you two were doing the day they…on that day." Harry glared at the twins, still feeling betrayed by the two pranksters. The older Weasleys were quick to reassure him as they had Ron and Hermione all of those days ago. Harry's two best friends also chipped in and soon Harry was accepting their explanation and trusted them enough to tell them what he hadn't told Dumbledore.

His four friends listened, rapt, gasping and growling in anger at the appropriate points. Harry was vibrating with mixed emotions and magic by the end of it.

"Harry," Hermione started tentatively, tears still crawling down her cheeks, "do you still have the Emergency Portkey Mr. Malfoy gave you?" Harry nodded, reached up to his neck…and then lost all of the color in his face.

His Portkey was gone!

* * *

 **Severus is actually feeling worried...hmmm... And keep in mind people, Dumbledore is an arrogant wizard in this who thinks Harry isn't the brightest tool in the shed, easy to manipulate.**

 **Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Fickle Fate:Chapter 14

 **Back from vacation! Was a little concerned I wouldn't be able to get this up for you guys, (no wifi at the beach!) but we made it back a little early, so here is a new chapter!**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Do What You Must**

Severus paced the Dark Lord's office viciously, snarling and snapping at the Dumbledore in his mind. It had been almost a full day since Harry…since _his son_ had been taken from him, and he couldn't calm himself.

Lucius had returned from the Ministry grinning like the cat that got the canary, but hadn't been able to give him any news regarding his son. The Dark Lord kept assuring him that they would get him back, but all they were doing was sitting around and waiting!

With Harry locked under a Fidelis Charm that none of them had access to, all they could do was hope that Harry used the Emergency Portkey Lucius had given him. So for now, the Dark Lord, Inner Circle and Draco had moved to the Lestrange Manor as a precaution and the Inner Circle was on a rotating schedule to keep a post in the Dark Lord's office at Malfoy Manor. Voldemort wanted someone there at all times, in case Harry showed up. The Portkey would do the boy no good if it brought him to an empty manor.

Since the fight with the Order and Snape discovering his son had been taken, he'd felt like he couldn't breathe and couldn't hold still. He wanted to go out and fight, but he knew that would lead no where.

Lucius had smiled at him when he came back from the Ministry to find Severus pacing in their makeshift infirmary much like he was now.

 _"What,"_ Snape had snapped. Lucius stood by him as Rabastan finished checking Draco over.

 _"You have no idea how much you look like a terrified parent, Severus."_ Lucius had clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, leaving Snape stunned and frozen still. Even after he had learned that Harry was his biological son, Severus never thought of himself as a _parent_. "Parent" implied having a hand in a child's upbringing and actually caring for the child. Severus never had the opportunity to do the first outside of being a teacher and the second…well…

 _All thanks to that fool Dumbledore,_ his mind viciously reminded him. Snape huffed and threw himself into an available chair. Dumbledore definitely didn't need to use the Polaris Charm on Snape to make him angry or willing to harm someone. _The second part didn't have much to do with him though. How could you do that to_ any _child? Your son or no?_

Snape snarled at the wall across from him, angry at himself now. Severus absently rubbed his left forearm, his Dark Mark burning due to the Dark Lord's ire. The move to Lestrange Manor hadn't taken long and was actually an easy transition, but Voldemort was in an even more volatile mood than before.

Not only had they discovered that Harry had been taken, but Nagini was missing as well.

* * *

Harry had trouble sleeping that night. His head was pounding and his mind was a whirlwind. He tried to recall when he had last seen his Portkey but that didn't do him any good. There was a good chance it had gotten lost when Harry had been flung back by the Bombarda at Malfoy Manor.

His friends had tried to help him, but there wasn't much they could do. Only Fred and George had their wands and Accio produced nothing useful. Harry learned that Mrs. Weasley had taken charge of Hermione and Ron's wands and had panicked even more when he couldn't find his own. So, not only was he missing his wand, but he was missing the Portkey Lucius had made for him.

He could always casually ask Mrs. Weasley if she had seen his wand anywhere, but if she didn't have it like she had Ron and Hermione's then it would alert her and the Headmaster that it was missing. Despite his friends and godfather being at Headquarters, Harry couldn't help but feel that he was in enemy territory.

Harry was having conflicting emotions about Sirius and he didn't know how to explain them. He had, unintentionally, started to…maybe… _tolerate_ Snape a bit, and knowing that his godfather and fa-James- _dad_ had tormented the man…Harry just didn't know what to think. He'd like to think that his godfather had changed and he wasn't that kind of man anymore, but he had seen him interact with Snape. It wasn't pretty.

The young man huffed and turned over again, pressing his face into the cool side of his pillow in hopes of relieving his headache. He laid there until the pillow got warm again, and then flopped onto his back with a frustrated groan.

A sudden desire to talk to someone invaded him and Harry didn't know what to do…until a potentially dangerous and stupid idea came to him. Harry stared at the ceiling debating with himself. He didn't fight the desire for long and quickly turned his concentration inwards.

Harry closed his eyes and tried to seek out the connection between the Dark Lord and himself. The young man opened his eyes and groaned in frustration after a long while with no success. Then a thought occurred to him and he decided to try searching for the connection like he searched for his magical core when he was trying to do wandless magic. Harry took a deep breath and focussed once more.

It only took him a few seconds to find the connection this time, and Harry was suddenly sucked in whether he was ready or not.

 **HPHP**

Harry found himself staring into a fire while lounging in a rather dark room. He had a tumbler of fire whiskey held onto by only a few fingers. Rage and worry and a bit of fear swirled in his chest uncomfortably. It was so unsettling, he actually raised his free hand to rub over his heart.

Suddenly the door to the room he was in opened and Rodolphus came in. He hissed at the intruder.

"What is it?" The Lestrange brother bowed shallowly.

"My Lord, Severus is still in your office back at Malfoy Manor. He refuses to leave and says he wants to be there when Harry returns." Harry raised a brow, a small flash of amusement dancing in his chest despite everything.

"Tell Severus I order him to let Lucius take a shift, and if he still doesn't listen, stun the man and drop him in his bed here. Remind him he won't be any good to his son if Harry shows up to find him half starved and delirious from lack of sleep." Rodolphus smirked.

"Yes, My Lord." Rodolphus turned to go, but Harry called to him, and he paused.

"Have you found Nagini yet?" Rodolphus solemnly shook his head.

"No, My Lord, we have not. I am sure she is fine, wherever she is. She might be out searching for the boy herself, My Lord. I may not be a Parselmouth but her affection for Harry was unmistakable." Harry's worry grew, though he didn't show it. He dismissed his follower with a grave nod and a wave of his hand. Turning back to stare into the fire, Harry rubbed his chest again. If the boy didn't come back soon, he feared he would start to lose his humanity once more.

 **HPHP**

Harry bolted upright. Suddenly his throat felt tight and his eyes felt hot and-

Harry's breath hitched and he didn't know how to stop the tears from falling. Harry wanted his mum, he wanted his da- well, who he always thought was his dad, he wanted- oh who was he kidding? He'd take Snape right now if he could. Harry didn't even know why he was crying. He just needed someone! Remembering Sirius was in the house had Harry out of his bed and hurrying down the hall.

A noise downstairs had him freezing. Uncontrolled tears still slipped down his cheeks and he had to bite his lip to keep his breath from coming out too loud.

 _"I wasn't able to get a read on the boy. It's as if someone is guarding his mind from me. I will have to try something else."_ Harry's heart leapt into his throat upon hearing Dumbledore's voice.

 _"It's not the boy's doing?"_ The second voice was Mad Eye and Harry's hands shook remembering what the ex-Auror had said to him those weeks ago.

 _"Hardly. That boy is completely inept when it comes to mind magic. The Dark Lord must have done something…or the traitor."_ Mad Eye snorted at Dumbledore's ire.

 _"You're the one who kept insisting he could be trusted. Guess you were wrong."_ The Headmaster growled at the one-eyed man.

 _"I had him under control. His mind was strong and I kept having to redo the memory charms. I didn't want to take Lily away from him completely, because people would get suspicious. Snape's love for her was well known. Perhaps the Dark Lord's torture shook something loose."_ Mad Eye didn't sound convinced but he grumbled in agreement nonetheless. _"You have the boy's wand, yes?"_ Harry covered his mouth with his hand to stop himself from gasping.

 _"Yeah. Tonks, the idiot girl, tripped over it when she apparated the boy here. Why do you want it, Albus? Aren't the wards enough to keep him here?"_ Albus huffed and Harry heard the Headmaster slip something into his robe. It must have been his wand.

 _"The damn boy has a nasty habit of escaping. I'm not taking any chances. Should he somehow get out, he at least won't be able to count on magic to stay hidden, especially since I have his cloak."_ Harry heard the men stand and their voices got louder. He hurried down the hall as quickly and quietly as he could and up a flight of stairs. He stopped once he got to his godfather's bedroom.

Finally at his original destination, Harry hesitated. He had never gone to anyone in the middle of the night before like this. Harry knew from talking with Hermione and Ron over the years that it was normal for kids to crawl into bed with their parents after a nightmare, but…Harry wasn't a child and he didn't even know why he was upset and-

The door opened and Sirius blinked at him in surprise.

"Harry? Why aren't you sleeping? Are you alright?" Harry opened his mouth to make some excuse and found he couldn't get any sound out. Sirius' confusion melted away to a sad smile. "Oh, Harry. Come here." Sirius wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and guided him into the room.

Through his tears Harry could see a candle burning and an open book on the bed. Apparently he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. Sirius paused for a moment, deciding what to do before shrugging his shoulders and leading Harry to the bed. He pulled back the covers and they both slipped under the blankets.

Sirius made a big show of tightly tucking the covers around Harry's legs until the boy couldn't help but huff a wet laugh and try to knock his godfather away. Black smiled at his godson and pulled the boy so he was leaning into Sirius's side.

"Harry…I know that what you went through in the hands of Lord Voldemort is probably worse than I can imagine, and I'm sorry for not asking earlier. Do you…do you want to talk about it?" Harry should have known that his godfather would assume Harry was upset about being tortured or something. His friends had thought the same thing. The problem was Harry didn't know how to explain that he was upset because that _wasn't_ what happened.

"I…I…nothing…nothing terrible happened. I don't…they were being _nice_ to me." Sirius's arms tightened around him.

" _Nice_? Harry, if they hurt you, there's no shame in-"

"No, Sirius. They didn't hurt me. I mean, they didn't torture me or anything. I wasn't kept in the dungeons. I had a big bedroom and got lots of food." A dark shadow crossed his godfather's face.

"Harry…no one…touched you did they? Somewhere that…made you uncomfortable?" Harry reared back, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Ew, no! That didn't happen either!" Sirius didn't seem fully convinced.

"Are you sure, because I've read that that's how those things start. They give the kid nice things and act really sweet and then start…" Harry buried his face in Sirius's chest, his glasses digging into his nose.

"It wasn't like that," he muttered into his godfather's shirt. Sirius ran his hand up and down Harry's arm in a comforting way. Harry pulled his face back, his glasses now smeared with his still lingering tears. "They were nice, like…wanting to get to know me, nice. Obviously they were just doing it to get me on their side but…Sirius, I don't know what to do. Everything they said just…I'm so confused. Voldemort listened to me and Lucius Malfoy taught me about magic and I got to eat food three times a day but then they were telling me that the Dark side isn't really all that dark and things that have happened shouldn't have happened and Snape is actually my dad and-"

" _Excuse me?"_ Harry cringed back at the deadly cold tone Sirius's voice took on. "They told you _Snape_ was your dad? _Severus Snape?_ " Harry nodded slowly and told his godfather what Voldemort told him about Severus's memories being erased and all that. Sirius was stone faced at the end. His tight grip on Harry didn't let up though, which the boy wasn't sure was a good thing. Eventually, Sirius responded.

"I'm glad you weren't injured, Harry. I am _so_ glad that they didn't hurt you. But don't…don't let them take James away from you again. You know what, it doesn't matter what they say, because you're mine now." Harry perked up, hope sparking in his chest.

"What?" Sirius smiled a him and nodded.

"Ever since the Ministry cleared my name I'm officially able to be your guardian now. It was in James's will. If not for Azkaban you would have come and stayed with me." Any earlier sadness Harry had was gone and he threw his arms enthusiastically around his godfather. This solved everything! He didn't have to think about Snape ever again! Sirius laughed at the boy's enthusiasm but clung to him just as tightly. "We can be a proper family now, Harry. We can get out of this dreary house and you can come home to me on the breaks from school and we can go on holiday without you being kidnapped by Death Eaters."

Harry's heart froze.

"What? Sirius-" Harry wasn't sure what his godfather was talking about. Then it suddenly clicked: Dumbledore must have told him that, so Sirius wouldn't know what the Headmaster had done. Harry had to tell him. "Sirius, that's not what-" Harry was cut off by his godfather putting a finger to his own lips. The young wizard was confused, then Sirius flicked his eyes over to the closed bedroom door. Waiting, Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a faint creak just outside the room. Someone was listening in.

"I was beside myself with worry when I was told that you had been taken from your relatives while on holiday, Harry," Sirius suddenly continued. "I promise your next holiday will be safer and it'll be just the two of us on an adventure…" Harry was shocked that his godfather had noticed someone was listening and wondered why Sirius was talking about what he was. "Now, I know you must be tired. Close your eyes and try to get some rest, Harry. I'll be here. You're safe."

Harry furrowed his brow but when bid, he took his glasses off and laid down, letting his godfather tuck him in. Sirius then bent down and whispered in his ear.

"I know something is wrong with the Order, Harry. I want to take you away from here and get you away from Albus. We just have to wait for Remus to get back. But if you have to run, Harry…run."

* * *

 **I want Sirius and Harry to have a close relationship in this (I've never actually written Sirius before!) but I want to acknowledge the fact that Azkaban has...messed up our favorite Dog Father a bit.**

 **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Fickle Fate:Chapter 15

 **Summer is going by way too fast. :( Not looking forward to going back for my senior year of undergrad. How did the time fly by so quickly?!**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Paying Attention Does Wonders**

Harry's eyes fluttered open and for just a moment, everything felt right in the world. The next moment, everything came flooding back to him and his head started pounding and his stomach churned with nausea. He couldn't stop the groan that left his mouth.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Sirius' voice was quiet but even that sounded like screaming to Harry. He brought his hands up and covered his ears, unknowingly letting out a whimper. Harry felt Sirius' hands on him but shied away when his godfather suddenly lifted up his eyelids.

Sirius cursed and leapt out of the bed. He hurried over to a corner of his room and started rummaging through a worn out looking bag. Harry wasn't paying much attention, though he noticed when his godfather returned moments later. Sirius knelt beside him and spoke as softly as he could.

"Harry, I know you probably hate the thought of it, but I really need you to take this for me, alright? Please, Harry." Harry slowly peeled his eyes open at his godfather's pleading and saw the cloudy brown potion Sirius wanted him to take. Harry's stomach lurched just at the sight, but if it would make the pain and nausea stop, he knew he had to get it down.

When he reached out a shaking hand, Sirius just shook his head.

"It's alright, Harry. Let me help you. Head up for a moment. That's it." Sirius had a supporting hand under one side of Harry's head and the other tilted the vial so the potion slipped into Harry's open mouth. A little bit trickled out of the side of Harry's mouth and onto his cheek, but he was more focussed on not automatically spitting the vile stuff out. Through sheer force of will, Harry was able to get it down and _keep_ it down.

Sirius let out a sigh of relief and so did Harry. The potion started working almost instantly, and the pain receded along with the nausea.

"Remus would kill me if he was here. I should have known you had a concussion what with the size of that goose egg you were sporting. The potion should keep most of the side-effects at bay while it works at healing the damage done to that brain of yours. Unfortunately, you need to take it every day for at least a week and I only have enough for a few more days." Sirius huffed out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through his hair trying to think. "I'm a free man now. I could simply go to the apothecary, but I don't want to leave you here alone with the Headmaster. You know he won't let you leave here without a fight. Maybe I could…Tonks. I could ask Tonks."

Harry's godfather trailed off, getting lost in his train of thought and muttering to himself. Harry was used to his godfather occasionally falling back into habits from Azkaban and this was one of them. It made Harry sad to see but at the same time, he didn't remember a time when Sirius wasn't like this.

"Kids! Come down for breakfast! I won't have you lazing about all day long!" Both men cringed upon hearing Mrs. Weasley screeching. Her cries had the added bonuses of causing Harry's headache to spike again and Sirius to crash out of his trance. The reinstated Lord Black couldn't hold back a vicious growl as the woman woke up his mother's portrait.

"Head on down, Harry. I have to go try and burn that damned portrait." Harry watched his godfather leave and reluctantly got out of the bed. While he was thrilled at the prospect of running away with Sirius, he didn't know how it would work. Dumbledore would be after them (either to capture or kill) in a heartbeat, Voldemort was waiting for him to return to Malfoy Manor and would be trying to capture them as soon as he got wind they escaped from Dumbledore and there would still be a war going on that Harry was _prophesied_ to end.

If he ran off with Sirius, away from it all, it would only grant them temporary relief and they would always be looking over their shoulders. Harry and his friends didn't have even a slim chance for peace until this all ended. Harry just didn't know _how_.

Mrs. Weasley called again, this time with a sharper tone, and Harry sighed. With slightly wobbly steps, he left the room and headed down to breakfast.

* * *

Lucius stepped back through the floo and into a sitting room in Lestrange Manor. His turn at waiting for Mr. Potter to use the Emergency Portkey was done and he was exhausted. Lucius wanted to go straight to bed but he knew he had to report to the Dark Lord before he even headed in that direction.

With a quiet sigh, Lucius turned to go to the office space Lord Voldemort had commandeered. The Dark Lord was reading through some reports when Lucius reached his office. Voldemort bade him enter when Lucius knocked and sat back in his seat.

"There is no point in me asking if anything happened seeing as you are here without the boy. Has there been any news on Nagini?" Lucius grimaced and shook his head.

"Unfortunately not, My Lord. She is still missing, though Rodolphus told me he was going to search through the dungeons of my manor next." Voldemort sighed and nodded.

"Very well. Unfortunately, I have urgent business to attend to. I will be leaving within the hour. Do not try to contact me while I am gone. Dismissed." Lucius bowed his head, his mind trying to figure out what secretive urgent business his Lord would have to attend to that he wouldn't even tell his right hand man. When Lucius reached the door and was about to leave, Voldemort called him one last time. "Lucius, your son has been rather…agitated while you were gone. I would speak with him lest he snap at the wrong person soon." The warning was clear in the Dark Lord's tone and Lucius nodded sharply.

While Draco's mother and deranged aunt had drilled certain behavior into the boy's head, Lucius had never outright discouraged his son's bratty behavior. He supposed it was partly from guilt: he had been so busy and away often while Draco was growing up that he let him get away with more than he ought to. Now, however, Lucius intended to try fixing his mistakes. While Lucius understood his son was going through a bit of an emotional upheaval with his abusive mother being cast out of his life by an absent and dismissive father, Lucius would not let his son behave in a way that was unfitting of a Malfoy and disrespectful towards the Dark Lord and his Inner Circle. He didn't want the boy tortured because he couldn't keep his blasted mouth shut.

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked, trying to stave off the headache that was starting to bloom behind his eyes. Between being on watch all night, fighting with Severus to get the man to rest, and dealing with Draco, he was beyond exhausted.

Luckily for him, Lord Malfoy did not have to go seeking his son out. When he got to his temporary room, Lucius found Draco asleep on his bed. The sight was so unusual Lucius froze and couldn't comprehend what he was seeing for a few moments. Draco was curled up on his side, his face buried in Lucius' pillow and his hands clenching the sheets in front of his chest. The boy was in the same clothes from the day before, not pajamas, but his shoes were sitting on the floor by Lucius' bed. It looked like his son had been waiting for him to return and had fallen asleep on his bed.

Lucius set his cane to lean against the wardrobe and shrugged off his heavy cloak, waving his hand to have it hang itself up. He then walked forward quietly and laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Draco. Draco, wake up." His son's eyes blinked open slowly and he was groggy…until he saw his father leaning over him. Draco shot up, getting to his feet as quick as a snitch. Lucius was amused as he watched Draco's cheeks pink slightly in embarrassment.

"I…I apologize, Father. I did not mean to fall asleep." Lucius raised a brow and smirked.

"And yet you were aware enough to take off your shoes before curling up on my bed." Draco's cheeks darkened further and when his son made to grab his shoes and scurry out of the room, Lucius put both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Calm yourself, Draco. I am not mad about you falling asleep in my bed. I am curious as to how and why this came about, but I'm not mad." Draco nodded in relief, but then Lucius's tone took on a harder edge. "However, the Dark Lord told me that your attitude has been disrespectful as of late. Need I remind you that saying the wrong thing to the wrong person will come with painful consequences that I cannot save you from?"

Draco's expression hardened and he shook his head seriously. Lucius waited for some sort of verbal response but when he didn't get one, he took a deep breath and braced himself. Draco had clearly been waiting for him for a reason and he had a feeling it was not going to be a happy conversation.

"Now tell me what you wanted to talk to me about." Lucius sat down on the edge of his bed and Draco turned to face him. As the boy thought about how to word whatever he was going to say (proving he was no Gryffindor), Lord Malfoy had a sudden flashback to times when Draco's mother sent the boy to Lucius' office for a reprimand.

"Why did you send Mother away?" Lucius blinked a couple times and was honestly stunned for a moment. However, he couldn't say he was truly surprised. He knew his son was upset when he initially kicked Narcissa out, but Lucius had perhaps stupidly assumed he had already addressed the issue.

"Draco, you know why. She was hurting you and despite what some of your friend's parents think, that is unbefitting behavior for a Lady of any family." Draco's hands clenched into fists.

"She didn't- she wasn't…she was my mother!" Lucius raised a brow as his son raised his voice and he put on a very unimpressed tone.

"She did birth you, yes. That does not give her the right to do what she did. Draco…" Lucius was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. This was probably the longest, most emotionally charged conversation he had had with his son since the boy was a toddler and screaming over a lost toy. His mind recalled the words Harry Potter had tossed at him only a few nights ago.

 _"Malfoy's don't talk about their feelings,"_ Lucius had said.

 _"I guess what you need to ask yourself then is do you care more about what a Malfoy does or doesn't do than you do about your son? From what I've seen I almost thought you cared more about the latter…But maybe I was wrong."_

"It wasn't like she was some disgusting, abusive Muggle! She was just trying to get me to act like a proper Pureblood! Isn't that what you always wanted!?" Lucius actually reared back as if he had been slapped. His son's normally pale face was tinged bright red with anger and upset. His grey eyes shone with unshed tears. Lucius' normally cold heart actually cracked for a moment. He raised a hand to lay on Draco's shoulder and his son flinched, _flinched_ , away from.

"Oh, Draco…" A tear slipped down Draco's cheek and he hastily wiped it away and turned to hide it. Lucius stood and quickly wrapped his arms around his son. "I may want you to purport yourself in a way that brings honor to our family name…but that does _not_ mean that I want to beat certain values into you." Draco was shaking with the effort to not cry in front of his father and Lucius sighed, knowing he had a big part in solidifying what Draco was learning from his mother and aunt.

He hadn't been around his son enough. Lucius thought he was protecting Draco but perhaps it was more shame and guilt. He didn't want his son to see him playing the weak sycophant to a maniacal tyrant. He didn't want Draco to see him weak, so he avoided him growing up and stepped into his life at the bare minimum. Lucius' guilt-spoiling also didn't help matters.

"Draco, please look at me." Draco eventually looked up and met his father's eyes. "'A Pureblood puts family first. Family is the most important thing.' That is one of the first rules we ever learn. However, through the years that rule has been twisted to mean put the family _name_ first, not the actual family. We forget that and tend to let what actually makes a family, family fall to the side. Being a Malfoy is something to be proud of, as is being a Pureblood. However, if we only focus on the name it would no longer be the Malfoy family, just a group of cold individuals who mean nothing to each other. I am sorry if I made you think that all I cared about was whether you lived up to the family name."

Draco was stunned to say the least. He never would have thought his father would speak like this to him. Suddenly, Draco was reminded of Harry telling him how his father cared for him just as much as any father did for their child and Draco hadn't actually believed the Gryffindor. Draco scowled.

"Whatever are you making that face for?" Draco realized he just made a horrific face after his father essentially poured his heart out to him and apologized quickly.

"I'm sorry, Father. I just…I just realized that Potter was right about something." Lucius chuckled then, completely understanding.

"Yes, well, unfortunately he seems to have a knack for being correct when we least want him to be." Draco made an agreeing noise and they eventually let go of each other, stepping out of the embrace. The young man could see how tired his father was and decided to excuse himself so the Malfoy Lord could rest.

"I apologize for keeping you from sleep, Father. Rest well." Lucius nodded his thanks and watched as his son gathered his shoes and walked towards the bedroom door. Right before Draco was about to leave, however, the boy stopped, turned and said,

"I love you too, Father." The next moment the door was swinging shut behind him.

* * *

 **The scene between Lucius and Draco came up because when I originally planned this story out I wanted the Malfoys to be all good and nice and everything. Now it looks like they are never going to be sunshine and rainbows, but they are getting better. Draco needs hugs too.**

 **Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

Fickle Fate:Chapter 16

 **Please be advised: I have begun my senior year of college, which means there is a chance I won't be able to update as regularly as I have been. please be patient with me, and understand that I have a ridiculous amount of important work to do that might interfere with my publishing schedule. I won't abandon the story. It will be finished. Just bear with me.**

 **For now, please enjoy this new chapter. :)**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Painful Discoveries**

Mrs. Weasley kept all of them more than occupied for the rest of the day and Harry no longer saw the motherly nagging as kind of sweet, like he used to. Now it was grating on every last nerve and he knew it was fake, at least when it was directed at him. It also became pretty clear that Molly was keeping a close eye on the Trio, no doubt to make sure they didn't wander off and start plotting…which was actually what they were hoping to do.

Without their wands the work took five times as long, and though Harry was used to manual labor with the Dursley's, the concussion and extensive bruising (also not unusual) made it even worse. Harry had tried to pose the question just to test the waters and see what kind of reaction he would get.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you think we could use our wands for this? We learned a lot of cleaning charms this past year that would come in handy." Molly immediately shut that down.

"Oh no, Dear, best not. No magic outside of school and all that. I would hate to see you all brought up on charges of underage magic. Besides, doing it the Muggle way builds character." Ron had snorted under his breath and rolled his eyes at his Mum's explanation while Hermione looked indignant, no doubt wanting to quote laws at Mrs. Weasley but knowing the risks. Harry on the other hand had not been surprised at all and knew their best option was to steal their wands back and make a break for it as quick as possible.

Problem one was getting their wands back and problem two was actually getting out of Grimmauld and away from Dumbledore and his supporters and problem three was figuring out where to go. Harry was starting to think that they would have to solve problems two and three and then snatch their wands just before they left.

As Harry fought off another Doxy from curtains in the third sitting room they had come across, he silently cursed himself for losing his emergency Portkey. He winced as the screeching from the enraged creatures hurt his head.

"Harry, are you okay," Hermione asked. Harry grimaced and mouthed _Later_ to her. She nodded in understanding and they went back to ridding the room of the pests as best they could. It took Sirius making a giant fuss and essentially throwing a tantrum to get Molly to let the Trio get away from chores. Mrs. Weasley even got a skeptical look on her face when Sirius said that Harry had only just gotten back from being 'tortured by Death Eaters!' Harry didn't know why Ron's Mum and Dumbledore kept pretending that they cared about him, when they clearly didn't.

Obviously they thought Harry was stupid, which ticked him off to no end. Just because he was too busy dealing with attacks from Voldemort every year to do his best at his school work didn't mean he was incompetent. Even Snape had admitted he was a quick learner when it came to their private Potions lessons…

Harry shook his head as his thoughts wandered to his…'Father.' The man was anything but _that,_ however, he had been tolerable the few days before the Order of the Phoenix had attacked and taken Harry away from Malfoy Manor.

Sirius could tell that the Trio needed to talk so he gestured for them to run upstairs while he sat in the living room reading the Daily Prophet. His chair gave him a perfect vantage point of the stairs and hallway and would allow him to intercept anyone who wanted to go upstairs and listen in on the teenagers or prevent them from talking.

The Trio didn't let out a sigh of relief until they were alone in a room with privacy charms wrapped around the whole space. Then they simultaneously plopped down on the floor, their backs to the bed in the room and leaning sideways into each other. No one spoke for a few minutes; they just sat and took comfort in each other's presence. Finally, Hermione broke the silence.

"Harry, what was wrong earlier? You looked like you were in pain." Harry would have shrugged, but he had both of his best friend's heads weighing down his shoulders.

"I have a concussion. Sirius noticed this morning. He says I have to take some nasty potion every day for a week or more. Problem is he only has enough for a couple of days." Ron huffed.

"Of course it can't be easy. I know he could leave to get more or something but he seemed suspicious of Mum and Dumbledore." Harry nodded slowly so to not hurt his head.

"Yeah, he knows that I wasn't 'kidnapped by Death Eaters.' I was able to tell him the gist of what really happened and he's right pissed. He wants to take me away from here as soon as Remus gets back, but…but he told me to run if I have to." Hermione squeezed Harry's arm.

"We'll figure it out, Harry. We always do." She sighed. "It would be easier if you had your Portkey though." Ron grimaced.

"Sure, Hermione. Let's have Harry take a Portkey that gets him out of _here_ but puts him right back with You-Know-Who and his favorite Death Eaters." Hermione huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ronald. Do you really think they would stay in the same place after the Order managed to invade and their Headquarters? The smart thing would be for them to find someplace else." Ron's brows pulled together.

"So if Harry takes the Portkey he'd be likely to show up in an empty manor? Brilliant." The Boy-Who-Lived didn't seem fully convinced though.

"I have two problems with that idea: one, you two are absolutely coming with me. I won't leave you here. And two: I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to have someone keeping watch at Malfoy Manor in case I do use the Portkey. They know exactly where it will take me, so if _we_ use it, we'd likely end up right back with them anyway, new Dark Headquarters or no." Harry didn't want to explain to them that he had looked into Voldemort's mind and saw that very thing. He knew that someone would be waiting on the other side if they ever found and used the Portkey Lucius gave him. Honestly, Harry was scared that he was starting to become more like Voldemort, willing to invade minds on a whim, and didn't want to admit what he had done.

"Harry, there are too many problems with everything going on! I hate to say it, but I think we should take a chance. And even…" Hermione stopped and swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Even if we do get captured by Voldemort, I know they won't kill us right away and they absolutely won't kill you. That will give you a chance to get to us and then we can all escape together." Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, their eyes sad.

"'Mione…you can't know that they won't hurt you. Just because they didn't do anything to me…they were just trying to convince me to cooperate or join them." Hermione shook her head as a tear crawled down her cheek.

"I didn't say they wouldn't hurt us. I said they wouldn't kill us. What you said is exactly why I think that: they are trying to convince you to cooperate by being 'nice.' If they knew you at all they would know that killing us would turn you against them forever. We can't get out of here with Dumbledore and his followers watching the door constantly. It's also warded to prevent us from leaving through any non-magical means. The only way out is to use that bloody Portkey," Hermione finished passionately. The boys blinked at her in surprise at her swearing but in the end they agreed.

"Alright then. First thing we have to do is find 'that bloody Portkey,'" Ron said. Suddenly something large thumped behind them and a giant snake slithered around the bed in front of them.

 _"I can help you with this, Young One."_ Hermione and Ron cried out and jumped onto the bed while Harry froze where he was. His eyes were wide behind his glasses.

 _"Nagini!? What are you doing here?"_ The serpent slid forward and nudged her snout against Harry's cheek. Hermione squeaked in fear from her spot above them.

 _"I leapt for you when the clumsy female took you away. Then we disappeared and re-appeared in this dark place. I knew I must not be seen and have been staying within the walls. I heard you speaking to your fellow young humans. I can help you!"_ Harry lifted a hand and stroked his fingers down the scales of her head. He hadn't realized that this was something he would miss, being with the familiar of the Dark Lord.

 _"How can you help? Have you seen the Portkey we were talking about? Wait…do you even know what a Portkey is?"_ If her face had the muscles for it, Harry knew Nagini would be raising an eyebrow at him in indignation. Without another word, Nagini turned her head and made a horrendous coughing sound. Just when Harry was going to beg her to stop, something came up and landed on the floor beside him.

Despite the gross juices covering the item, Harry snatched it up without hesitation.

"Guys, it's the Portkey!"

* * *

Tom was standing in the remains of an old house, a familiar house. He closed his eyes and could feel the dark energy coming off of the object he sought. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt its malice. It knew what he had come here to do and it wasn't pleased.

There was a reason that Tom Riddle had come here by himself, without an audience of Death Eaters. It was more than one reason actually; it was shame and embarrassment, not that the Dark Lord would ever admit to feeling either of those emotions. When the Dark Lord performed the correct ritual to counter what Peter Pettigrew had done and returned to a more human form, he had also regained part of his soul. He had yet to figure out which Horcrux it came from though.

Having part of his soul back had made him more susceptible to feeling human emotions when around Nagini and Harry. It was…unnerving and at first he hadn't been sure what to do about it. However, the more time he spent around the two, Harry especially, the more Voldemort felt…guilt and shame. He began to regret all that had brought him to this point in his life and began to remember why he had started on the road he had to begin with.

He had wanted to become a politician and better the Wizarding World. Then Dumbledore got in the way and people began choosing sides. Someone threw the first curse, and well…at this point did it matter who started it all? In the end they became embroiled into a war no one had wanted in the first place…no one, except maybe Albus Dumbledore. Tom was pretty certain that Albus had encouraged the fighting and eventual war for his own gain, so he could accumulate more power and prestige and as Tom Riddle began to lose more and more of his soul…so did he.

Tom shook his head to get rid of the dark thoughts and stepped further into the house. As he got closer to a dark, decrepit room in the back, his negative emotions resurfaced. Anger flared in his chest, much brighter than it had in a while and he had his answer. _The Ring still exists_. The Horcrux sensed his presence and unlike Harry and Nagini, the ring did not inspire positive emotions in the Dark Lord. Tom knew that the cursed object would fight against him when he arrived, but knowing it and experiencing it were two different things.

What Tom wanted to do was a threat to the Horcrux's existence so the bit of soul inside the ring was trying to influence his emotions and thoughts.

Tom had changed so much over the past few months and finally acknowledged what he needed to do to truly become who he once was, or as close as he could get with the Diary destroyed. He needed to reabsorb the parts of his soul scattered into each Horcrux. However to do so, he needed to accept the twisted, angry pieces of himself that would fight him every step of the way. Because of the dark ritual and evil act that had to be done to _create_ each Horcrux, the part of Tom's soul that was left in each object quickly grew dark and evil also. The object holding the soul fragment then would cause anyone around it to feel wretched and angry. That didn't seem to be the case with Tom's living Horcrux's, Harry and Nagini, but he did not have time to think on that. He had to focus on the evil _inanimate_ Horcrux he was currently after. Scowling, Tom forced himself closer to the loose floorboard he had hidden the ring under. Knowing Accio wouldn't work, he knelt on the floor and ripped the board away. Without the flimsy piece of wood in the way, the influence and angry screaming of the Horcrux seemed louder, and Tom winced at the pain lancing through his chest and head. Had he been farther from the Horcrux, Tom might have felt some guilt upon realizing this was the kind of pain Harry felt through his scar. However, that was not the case and Tom felt no remorse for any previous actions at that time.

Taking a handkerchief from his robes, the Dark Lord quickly snatched the cursed jewelry from its hiding spot and threw it on the ground a couple feet from himself. After a deep breath, Tom stood and faced the Horcrux as though it was a rabid beast…which, essentially it was. Sensing its end, the Ring conjured forth images as Voldemort began chanting the words of the Restoration ritual.

To Tom's everlasting shock, it wasn't an image of himself or Dumbledore or even one of his close followers. It was Harry, a twisted, glittering, angry image of Harry Potter glaring at him through the cloud of black magic.

 _"You really think this will bring you back to yourself, Tom? You will forever be a monster, unworthy of love or compassion."_ Tom closed his eyes and kept chanting, the magic from the ritual slowly becoming visible and wrapping around the Ring. Harry's image grew more frantic.

 _"This won't make me forgive you, Tom! I will never forgive you! You killed my parents! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"_ The word's pierced Tom's heart, but he didn't stop, couldn't stop. The Horcrux-Harry screamed in rage and pain as the Restoration finally yanked the dark soul fragment from the Ring. The object stopped vibrating as the dark magic left it, but the soul still floated, writhing in the air above Tom. The next part of the ritual would be painful and Tom braced himself.

The golden magic that wove a net around the soul, whipped out and lassoed around Tom's chest. Reeling the two parts of Tom together, the magic reached inside Tom and touched the torn and battered piece of himself that he still had. Finally, the soul fragment touched Tom's chest, and Tom's magical core exploded.

When Tom woke, the first thing he saw was the dusty, decrepit ceiling of the wreck he was in. His chest hurt and he rubbed a hand across it as though that would help. Looking across the room, Tom saw the Ring sitting there as though nothing had happened. The Dark Lord finally gathered himself and stood.

Scooping up the Ring, Tom looked at it for a moment before slipping it onto his finger. He wiped away the few tears that had fallen down his cheeks before leaving the building and Apparating back to the manor.

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 **Harry was a little hard to work with this chapter. His internal conflict is fighting me. :/ Hopefully, I'll get a better grip on him as this continues to progress.**

 **Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Fickle Fate:Chapter 17

 **I'm back! Man, I wish it was graduation already. So tired...but I've been taking my stress out on my stories...good or bad I don't know. Thank you so much for all of your love and support! It really helps and just reading the things you guys have to say makes me smile. :) You motivate me to keep going.**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Plan B!**

Hermione and Ron went about discreetly telling the twins the plan and getting bags ready, while Harry did his best to keep Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore sufficiently distracted. Sirius seemed to be of a similar mind as Harry's godfather would pick fights with the Headmaster regarding Remus or Harry whenever the man was in the room. The werewolf was on his way back to England, Grimmauld Place in particular, against Dumbledore's wishes. It seemed Harry being back and awake was enough to give the man a push to stand his ground against the Headmaster.

Harry was on edge and doing his best to not show it, though he had a strong suspicion that Dumbledore picked up on it. A day had gone by since Nagini had given them the Portkey, and Harry was anxious to leave. He and the others wanted to wait for Remus to get back so all seven of them could go (along with Nagini because Harry didn't want to leave her at Order Headquarters) but they were prepared to leave at a moment's notice. Harry knew Sirius and Remus would understand if they were left behind, they could handle themselves after all, but that didn't mean Harry wanted to.

The young Gryffindor felt a tingling in his scar the day before and strange twist of uneasiness in the back of his mind. It was like something was wrong or off with Voldemort and he was feeling it through their connection. The link was no where near as strong as before and Harry suspected it was the distance combined with wards set around the building. He also wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have put up some kind of block around his mind. Harry was feeling more inclined to believe that the Headmaster had manipulated his emotions from the day they had met as each day at Grimmauld went by.

By the third day everything was set and Remus had contacted Sirius to tell him he would be back to Grimmauld by dawn the next morning. Hedwig was sent off somewhere safe; Harry trusted her to know what to do and find them when she could. Harry and his two best friends just had to get their wands back by then and it would all fall into place.

Of course, that was when everything went wrong.

It started with Moody and Kingsley being called in by Dumbledore for a meeting of some sort. It was the first time since Harry had been back that the Headmaster had shooed him away instead of constantly having an eye on him. When Harry had come down for breakfast that morning he already wasn't feeling well; Sirius's stock of 'Concussion Potion' had run out. As Harry sat down trying to ignore the blurry vision, nausea and headache building up, Mad Eye and Shacklebolt showed up in the kitchen.

The young Gryffindor forgot how to breathe for a second and simply stared at the two men, his heart pounding.

"Potter," Moody eventually huffed at him in greeting. Kingsley only narrowed his eyes at the boy. Once Harry's brain jump-started again out of panic mode his first thought was that these two clearly weren't on board with the 'pretend we didn't actually sell Harry to Death Eaters who would torture and kill him' plan. A slightly hysterical part of Harry's mind was actually relieved by the lack of pretense. He felt like he actually knew where these two stood in regards to himself and his safety. Simply put, they didn't care what happened to him and wanted him gone. Harry didn't even have to know why; he just knew that if Mad Eye and Kingsley were at all suspicious, he and his friends had to get away, _soon_.

"Oh, Mad Eye! Kingsley! What a pleasant surprise," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she came back into the kitchen to finish breakfast. "Here to see Professor Dumbledore, then?" Mad Eye turned a suspicious glare at Harry that he did his best not to return. Harry figured it was best not to let them know how much he didn't like or trust them.

"Yes, Molly. Official business. The place already looks better," Kingsley commented. He waved his hand about, gesturing to the cleaner, slightly less dreary room they were in, and Harry flinched ever so slightly. The light had caught on Kingsley's ring and Harry remembered just how it felt connecting with his cheek bone. Everyone pretended they didn't notice but Harry was almost certain he saw Moody smirk for a brief moment.

As Molly began gushing about all the work 'she' had done to clean up Grimmauld, Hermione and Ron made an appearance. They both paused at the entrance of the kitchen, noting the strange tension in the air. However, a moment later they took up defensive positions on either side of Harry, trying and failing to look casual in doing so. Moody actually growled at them.

"Oh calm down you two. We aren't going to take away your precious _boyfriend._ " Before anyone could retort Albus walked in.

"Now, Alastor, I believe that was uncalled for. I'm glad you two could make it, but if you can't play nice I will separate you." The Headmaster spoke with that stupid grin on his face like he had made a grand joke. "Come. We can talk down the hall here. Molly, if you would please bring us some tea if you could?" Without waiting for a response, the three wizards left the room. Molly immediately set to work heating up a pot and getting the tea out. It hurt something inside of Harry to see a woman he had cared about worshipping the ground of the man who would sell a young man, a _human being_ , for his cause.

Molly walked out with the tea, and as she passed them, the Trio eyed Ron and Hermione's wands sticking out of the pocket of her apron. She liked to keep them on her person at all times since she didn't trust them not to steal them. Her paranoia was not doing the young friends any favors but they finally had a plan that would hopefully get all of their wands back. It would just be dangerous and require the perfect timing.

"I have it brewing upstairs," Hermione whispered to Harry once Molly was gone. Harry nodded his understanding and stood to get some food for the three of them.

They were eating sedately when Sirius came into the kitchen. He furrowed his brow at their slumped figures.

"What's wrong? You three look like someone spat in your tea." Harry's godfather leaned sideways to look through the doorway, trying to spot what made his godson and his friends so unsettled. He didn't see anything and sat down. "Harry?"

"We got…guests," Ron spat the last word like it was a curse. At Sirius's raised brow, the Weasley boy continued. "Mad Eye and Shacklebolt." Sirius growled upon hearing the names of the two Aurors.

"Sirius, don't," Harry quietly admonished. His godfather stopped growling but he still scowled. Black leaned forward and looked Harry in the eye.

"Remus will be back by three in the morning. As soon as he's here, we're gone." He looked at Harry's two friends. "All of us." The Trio nodded, and Harry's gut clenched in guilt at their emergency plan already in play. A very, _very_ small part of him hoped and prayed that everything would work perfectly. However, the much more pragmatic part of him knew that it very likely wouldn't. In fact…

"Harry, my boy, could I speak with you?" It took everything in Harry not to tense at the Headmaster's request. Instead he smiled stiffly and nodded.

"Is everything alright, Albus," Sirius asked. He was not happy with the prospect of his godson being alone with the Headmaster. Sirius could also plainly see the dislike his old mentor and Shacklebolt held for Harry, if their prominent suspicious glares were anything to go by. Padfoot did not miss the flash of annoyance in the Headmaster's eyes when he spoke. It felt like a small triumph making the old wizard's mask crack for even a moment.

"Oh everything is fine. I just wish to discuss plans for the upcoming school year." Before Sirius could protest that he come along, Dumbledore shuffled Harry out of the room. A wave of dizziness washed over Harry as he was hustled into an office down the hall. He practically fell into a chair which did not help his nausea. It only intensified when he heard what came out of Albus's mouth next. "Oh, Harry. I know what you and your friends are trying to do."

"S-Sir?" Beads of sweat broke out on the back of Harry's neck and it wasn't all from the sudden swoop of fear in his stomach.

"I sincerely thought you were beginning to understand, Harry. There are things in this world bigger than you, bigger than Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. Frankly, my boy, I am disappointed." Harry swallowed hard.

"I don't…understand, Professor. What…" A numb feeling started traveling up Harry's arms and he tried to push himself into sitting up without any success.

"I know what we did scared you, Harry, but it was for the greater good. I don't know what else I can do to make that clear to you. Despite what Voldemort says, he does not _care_ for you, Harry. He does not have enough soul left for such a human talent. You are surely feeling frightened and confused now, Harry, but there is something I must share with you. I'm sorry it has had to come to this. You have to know the true reason Voldemort would want to keep you alive, the only reason. I'm afraid this is the only way to get you to understand what is truly at stake in this war. Harry-"

Whatever Dumbledore had been about to say was interrupted by a loud shriek from outside. Dumbledore stood quickly while Harry stumbled to his feet. The Headmaster shot him a questioning look, but Harry could only shrug. He honestly had no idea what was going on. When the sounds of spells flying reached their ears they left the dingy room.

They walked into chaos. The two aurors and Molly Weasley were on one side of the room firing spells at the twins and Sirius. Harry rushed over to his two best friends who were doing all they could to stay out of the line of fire. Without their wands they felt helpless.

"STOP!" Dumbledore's startlingly loud voice caused a temporary cease-fire. Harry would suspect later that the Headmaster added a slight compulsion spell to his voice. "What in Merlin's name is going on out here?"

"I caught the twins there trying to steal something," Mad Eye growled. "Sirius got all hot and bothered about it when I thought I'd teach the little thieves a lesson and decided to start throwing curses." Sirius Black scowled back at his mentor just as fiercely.

"And I told you they were doing no such thing!" Kingsley scoffed and raised his wand threateningly again.

"Please, everyone knows those two brats have sticky fingers. They can't hide behind their tricks this time." Harry felt his breathing pick up as the tension and magic pressure in the small space increased substantially.

"Boys, if you would just apologize this wouldn't be a problem," Molly scolded. Harry heard Ron huff behind him. 'That's bloody likely,' the red head muttered. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and the two shared a look. It seemed like they were going to have to leave sooner rather than later.

"Or Mad Eye should apologize," Fred snarked.

"Yeah. Don't think that magic eye of yours is as good as it used to be, Moody," George threw out. Harry would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't feeling too nauseous to do so. The twins were not helping. As the arguing picked up again, Harry saw something out of the corner of his eye. It seemed Nagini recognized that they were going to be relying on Plan B now. Harry leaned over carefully and quietly knocked three times on the wall beside him. Catching Ron's eye, he conveyed his message. Their was a bitter tightness around Ron's eyes but the other boy nodded his understanding.

The Trio began slowly backing up, Ron's hand on Harry's back the only thing keeping him from tripping backwards. Harry began trying to summon his wandless and wordless magic. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave his wand with Dumbledore. Once they were at a safe distance, well as safe as they could be, Harry knocked once, sharply on the wall.

Then all Hell broke loose.

From behind Mrs. Weasley Nagini leaped from her hiding place. She landed on top of Molly, knocking her wand from her hand. Nagini struck fast, slicing open Molly's arm with her fangs as she reached for the wands in Molly's apron pocket. It only took three seconds to scoop them into her mouth but it was three seconds long enough for the others to start reacting to the giant snake in their midst.

Dumbledore, Shacklebolt and Moody all started firing spells at Nagini. Luckily, Voldemort's protection spells on her held. The twins, knowing Nagini was on their side, began going after the Aurors. Sirius froze for a moment but seeing what the twins were doing, trusted them and joined them in attacking the other Order members and not the snake.

Sirius and the twins managed to distract the others enough that Nagini slipped through the screaming mass of people and flew down the hall towards the Trio. Hermione couldn't help her frightened shriek and hard flinch as the massive snake barreled towards them. Ron and Harry held her still as Nagini reached them.

"Don't you dare, Potter!" Harry's head flew up to see Albus Dumbledore, wand drawn and pointed towards them. Everyone had frozen, except Nagini who circled the Trio so her body touched all three of the young people. Once he had their attention, Albus slowly lowered his wand and held up his hands to show he meant no harm. "Whatever it is you think you are doing, it's not right, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "You are the only hope we have for this war to end. If you run away now, thousands will die and it will be all your fault." Harry felt his throat close up with emotion as the Headmaster tried to convince him to stay. "If you leave now, you will dishonor your parents' memories. You will destroy everything they fought for. Everything the papers wrote about you last year will come true. But come to me now, and all will be forgiven." He knew the man was just trying to manipulate him but it still hurt. The pained whimpers and cries coming from Mrs. Weasley in the background also tugged at Harry's bruised heart.

In that moment, Hermione squeezed his hand and Harry's resolve came back to him. Flicking his eyes to his godfather, Harry saw acceptance and pride in Sirius' eyes. The next moment he looked Albus straight in his twinkling blue eyes and hissed,

 _"Safety."_ In the ensuing chaos, Dumbledore screaming in rage and Sirius magically expelling the Order members from his home, no one noticed the thin object flying from Dumbledore's robes and disappearing with a small pop.

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 **Things just got real y'all! Sorry to leave you on that cliff hanger, but I've got to keep you coming back for something. ;) Toodles!**

 **Please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

Fickle Fate:Chapter 18

 **Deciding to update today because I'm doing a 5k obstacle race tomorrow and figure I'll be far to worn out to update on my usual day of the week. Enjoy the early update!**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Help Him!**

Severus was pacing. He was on his fifth shift at Malfoy Manor and was beginning to lose the little hope he had to begin with. His son was not coming. He was either trapped and couldn't escape the Headmaster's clutches, or Dumbledore had managed to convince Harry to stay with the Order. The Dark Lord wasn't able to soothe any of Severus's worries either, since the old coot somehow managed to block/muffle the connection between the boy and Lord Voldemort.

A small part of Severus feared Harry returning. It would put his son right back into Voldemort's hands. Snape also feared that Harry's absence built up the weak emotions Severus had started to gain for his son. He was afraid that if Harry returned to him, those feelings would disintegrate under hatred and anger, putting them right back where they started.

Two nights after Harry had been taken, Severus had a nightmare. It had started as it usually did, him walking into Potter's house in Godric's Hollow to discover Lily murdered. This time, however, as Severus held his dead love to his chest Lily started speaking.

 _"How could you do that to my boy, Severus? How could you hurt your son?_ Our _son?"_ Snape had nearly dropped Lily's body in shock. Lily's emerald eyes locked onto Snape's obsidian eyes and Severus couldn't look away. _"My baby boy, Severus. You hurt my baby. You promised me you would protect us and always love us. How could you do that to my son!?"_ The Potions Master had wanted to throw Lily away from himself, escape her persecution, but he couldn't as her hands suddenly flew up and clutched at his robes. _"You loved him once, Severus. How did this happen? I used to think you were nothing like your father. I guess I was wrong."_

Then the nightmare ended and Severus bolted up in bed. As soon as he was able he got his feet on the floor and ran to empty his stomach in the toilet. Severus hadn't slept well since.

The worst part to Snape was that in his nightmare Lily was only saying what he thought himself. He had tried to push it away from his mind, but hearing the words come from her mouth made them real. He couldn't ignore them.

Snape sat in the desk chair and dropped his head in his hands. It was a sad thing indeed when your wife's dead ghost needs to spit vitriol at you to make you start caring for your only child. A glance at the clock told Severus that his shift was almost over. Rabastan would be coming to relieve him in a few minutes.

What happened next was so quick and convoluted that Severus would be hard pressed to explain everything when asked for a recounting of the events.

Suddenly the Golden Trio, wrapped in a strange embrace by Nagini, popped into existence in the middle of the office. Severus was frozen in place, unsure if what he was seeing was real. It took Harry collapsing on the floor and Hermione screaming for Snape to jump into action.

Nagini reared up and hissed at him, as he approached. However, the moment the snake recognized him she laid back down and slithered out of his way. Hermione fell onto the floor next to Harry then, rubbing his back as Harry began retching up on the carpet. Ron was the first to spot him.

The Gryffindor boy stepped in front of his friends and took up a defensive stance. Snape silently commended the foolish boy's bravery and loyalty to his friends; standing between a known Death Eater and his friends with no wand took a spine of steel.

"You stay away!" Ron's shout got Hermione's attention. The young witch analyzed the situation in seconds and came to a difficult decision.

"Ron, let him by." Ron whipped around, shock clear on his face.

"But, 'Mione-"

"Ron, stop! He can help, Harry. Please." Her eyes were brimming with scared tears, and Ron very reluctantly nodded and stepped aside. Snape thought it best to not snark in this situation and instead focussed on his son.

Severus knelt by Harry's side and waited for the boy to stop throwing up before making the boy lift his head and look at him.

"Ms. Granger, tell me what you know. Is he ill?" Hermione took an anchoring breath before answering.

"Harry said he was thrown back by a Bombarda when the Order attacked Malfoy Manor. He said he was thrown down the stairs and smacked his temple on the floor. Sirius diagnosed him with a concussion the second day he was at Headquarters and started giving him Concussion Potion. He ran out yesterday, though." Snape hissed out a curse as he spotted the black and purple bruise on his son's temple.

The Portkey transportation combined with the lack of potion appeared to have worsened Harry's symptoms significantly. Scooping Harry into his arms, Snape nodded towards the open floo.

"Say Lestrange Manor Foyer. I will be right behind you. Remain calm. Nagini, as soon as we arrive get the Dark Lord." Severus did not know for sure that Nagini understood him but he did know the snake was smarter than others thought.

Hermione dragged Ron over to the floo and spoke the words as Severus directed. The moment the two students were gone, Snape stepped in with his son, Nagini coiling up around his feet.

With a flash of green flame, Severus arrived in Lestrange Manor. Nagini immediately shot out of the floo and slithered away, hopefully to get the Dark Lord as Snape instructed. Hermione and Ron were huddled together against the wall staring at the end of Rabastan's wand. The wand lowered immediately when Rabastan saw Severus had Harry.

"What happened?" Snape hurried to their makeshift infirmary and called over his shoulder.

"Severe concussion. Call Lucius. I will need his assistance." He did not bother to instruct Rabastan on what to do with Granger and Weasley. The man would surely think of something appropriate and Snape had more pressing issues to deal with.

He burst through the doors and set Harry on the nearest bed. All of the lower-level Death Eaters injured in the fight with the Order had been treated at Malfoy Manor and then quickly sent on their way, while the Inner Circle treated their wounds at Lestrange Manor. Luckily, this meant no one would see Severus showing concern over both the biggest pain in his side and his son.

Harry groaned when Snape slid the boy's glasses off of his face. The boy made weak attempts to struggle but was no match for a fully coherent Severus Snape.

"Harry, Harry, you are safe. Quiet. Quiet." Snape spoke softly so as not to worsen the boy's no doubt agonizing headache any further. He took a closer look at Harry's bruise and noticed the skin was broken a little further up on his scalp, completely covered by his hair. Severus grimaced when he saw that the small wound had already become infected. No one must have bothered the check the boy over while he was at Headquarters. From what Severus had observed of Harry's self-preservation instincts, someone else caring enough to check would have been the only way the boy would have avoided the infection.

The sound of footsteps followed by someone coming into the room was music to Severus' ears.

"Severus, what do you need me to do?" Snape pointed towards a cabinet in the back of the room.

"I need fresh Concussion Potion, my bruise salve, an Infection Dispeller and…" the Potions Master laid the back of his hand on Harry's forehead and cursed at the heat he found there. "Bring me a Fever Reducer as well." Lucius did as bid without question and returned quickly.

Just as Lucius reached the side of the bed, Harry groaned and tried to roll onto his side.

"I'm gonna… _sick_ …" Neither of them conjured a bucket in time and Harry's sick landed on his own shirt and the bed. It wasn't much considering the boy had already thrown up earlier.

"Damn," Severus muttered. The boy surprised them both when suddenly, tears started falling down his face.

"'m sorry, sorry. Hurts," Harry whimpered. It was the most vulnerable Severus had ever seen the boy outside of his Occlumency Lessons (torture sessions) and it made him uncomfortable.

"Harry, it's alright. No one's upset at you. We're going to give you some potions to make you feel better," Lucius spoke in a soothing tone, seeing as Severus wasn't going to. In fact, instead of speaking to his son, Severus focussed on cleaning up the mess the boy had made. He banished the top sheet from the bed as well as the boy's shirt for the house elves to collect and clean. The Potion's Master scowled when he found another dark, large bruise on Harry's shoulder, which he also assumed came from being thrown by a Bombarda. "Severus."

Snape shook his head to curb his dark thoughts when Lucius called his name.

"Give him the Infection Dispeller while I put bruise salve on his shoulder. Then I'll do what I can to seal the wound. Hopefully the infection isn't too severe as to prevent magic from closing it. Once that is done give him the Fever Reducer, then wait a full minute before the Concussion Potion." Lucius nodded and began coaxing Harry to open his mouth for the Infection Dispeller. Severus was just finishing applying the bruise salve when the Dark Lord came into the room followed closely by Nagini.

Voldemort did not speak at first, simply taking in the state the boy was in. His knuckles were white as he gripped the ornate footboard of the bed Harry laid in.

"How did this happen?" The Dark Lord's calm tone frightened the two Death Eaters more than any screaming the man might have done. They continued to work on the boy, who struggled at every point, as they answered their Master.

"Ms. Granger informed me that the boy was thrown down a flight of stairs by the Bombarda as Draco described. He told her that he landed on his shoulder and his head slammed into the floor. No one noticed or bothered to do anything about the broken skin above the head trauma, however, and it became infected. The boy's godfather was giving him Concussion Potion but ran out quickly. The boy did not have a dose this morning and combined with the Portkey travel, his symptoms worsened rapidly." Voldemort took some visibly deep breaths to calm himself and Severus took the moment to try and seal the boy's wound with magic. Thankfully it worked.

The Dark Lord walked around the other side of the bed as his two followers administered the last of the potions to Harry. Tom slowly reached out and gently moved Harry's hair out of the way to get a clearer look at the the head trauma. It looked quite painful and lightly dipping into Harry's mind proved it to feel worse than it looked.

"I want a full diagnostic spell run on him as soon as he has settled to make sure there isn't anything missed. Someone will stay with him at all times until he is well. Now, I must have a chat with our two new guests." Tom left the room but Nagini did not follow him. Instead the large snake slithered up onto the bed and settled by Harry's open side. She hissed quietly at the boy in a way that reminded Severus of a mother quietly comforting a sick child. The Potion's Master knew he was completely losing it if he truly thought the Dark Lord's familiar was whispering sweet words of comfort to Harry Potter.

He would never know that his 'insane thought' was actually very close to reality.

 _"Young One, all is well. You are safe with Tom and your Sire. The Big Blonde One is here as well. Stop fighting; all is well."_ Harry's struggles lessened at Nagini's words but he still flinched whenever someone touched him. He was disoriented by the pain, confused by the fever and blind without his glasses. Finally, the hands left him and he curled towards Nagini's familiar weight.

He fell asleep almost instantly as the potions worked to heal him. As such, he didn't hear Lucius and Severus cursing behind him.

"What the bloody hell happened to his back," Lucius whispered viciously. Severus did not answer as he glared at the raised scars. He recognized them immediately for what they were: scarred over lashes from a belt. The Potion's Master knew all too intimately how they could have occurred and a new rage flickered to life within his chest. How? How could he not have seen that his son suffered from the same abuse he had in his youth?

 _Because you did not want to see, Severus. You refused to acknowledge what you suspected deep down._ Snape's self-loathing flared to life again easily, for it never truly disappeared, and without thought he stepped closer towards Harry's bed. He levitated the boy and set him back down once he had the covers pulled back. Once the boy was in what appeared to be a comfortable sleeping position and Nagini had slithered under the covers as well, Severus tucked his son in.

Lucius watched all of this with a strange awe at seeing his friend so…caring towards the boy.

"Muggles," Severus finally spoke. "It was those Muggles he was placed with." Lucius growled in a very un-Malfoy-like manner.

"Dumbledore placed Harry in an abusive home and did nothing to protect the boy?" Severus stared down at his son, his eyes on the edge of a scar that wrapped around the boy's shoulder.

"It wouldn't be the first time."

* * *

 **Harry is back with the Dark Lord and his father! And his friends are with him now! What will happen next? Stay tuned. ;)**

 **Please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

Fickle Fate:Chapter 19

 **I survived the 5k and now I'm on break! Of course that just means I get to sleep in _and_ do a whole bunch of homework. Oh well. Here's a new chapter! :)**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Yes...Yes I Did**

Hermione and Ron huddled close together on a futon, eyeing Rabastan Lestrange, specifically the wand held loosely in the man's hand.

"You figured there would be someone waiting on the other side of the Portkey, didn't you," Ron asked quietly. Hermione's guilty expression said it all. "You think Harry knew?" Hermione grimaced before slowly nodding.

"Given the state of things at Headquarters…Ron, we had no choice. Do you realize that? Dumbledore would have had us carted off to Azkaban like Sirius or found some way to force us to do his bidding." Ron scowled.

"And here they're more likely to just kill us. They've taken Harry off who know's where, and we're alone without our wands. You know what they think of your…blood, Hermione." Tears welled in Hermione's eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"I'd rather be dead than forced to pretend like the Light Side of the war is the right one anymore." Hermione's voice was strong despite the way her hand's shook in Ron's.

"Those are brave words, Ms. Granger. Though I expected no less from a Gryffindor such as yourself." The two students jumped and paled when they saw who entered the room. It wasn't hard to determine that the Dark Lord now stood before them, his red eyes narrowed at them in contemplation. With a wave of his hand, Voldemort dismissed Rabastan. The Death Eater left without a word and then it was just two thirds of the Golden Trio in the presence of the Dark Lord. Voldemort took a seat directly across from them.

"I hope to ease some of your fear by telling you that I will not kill you, nor will I order my followers to kill you. However, just as I warned Harry when he was with us before, it would be best for you to stay away from certain parts of the manor when I hold my general Death Eater meetings. Some of my followers can be quite zealous and will act before thinking. Do you understand?" It took a moment, but eventually the two Gryffindors nodded. "Good. I will expect you two to act in a respectful manner while you are here. If myself or my Inner Circle tell you an area is off limits, then it is _off limits._ While Harry was under my care previously I had him taking lessons, and once he is well again he will continue them and you two will join him." Hermione couldn't help but perk up at the thought of learning, but then cringed at the thought that they would be taught Dark Arts.

"Nagini informed me that she grabbed your wands from Mrs. Weasley before the three of you escaped. She also told me she dropped them once you arrived at Malfoy Manor." Voldemort waited for a moment, staring the two of them down, before turning all of his attention onto Hermione. "It would be foolish of me not to think that you scooped them up before arriving here. I know you are not an idiot Ms. Granger. You have your wands, do you not?" Hermione did not want to answer but in the end decided the Dark Lord would find out one way or another, and it would be in her best interest to take the less painful route.

"Yes…I also have Harry's." Ron looked at Hermione in surprise and anger for her having given up such a secret. Tom Riddle raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Nagini told me that Albus Dumbledore was in possession of Harry's wand. How did you obtain it?" Hermione was scared that her answer would anger the Dark Lord.

"I…I don't really know." When the man said nothing she babbled on. "Harry was staring at the Headmaster really intensely when we were at…at…H-Headquarters," Hermione finally managed to choke out around the Fidelius Charm. "I just thought it was because Professor Dumbledore was trying to convince him to stay and saying that if he left he'd destroy everything his parents worked for. But just as Harry activated the Portkey N-nagini," Hermione shuddered when she thought of the large snake, "the Portkey Nagini swallowed, his wand came flying out of the Professor's robes and towards us. I don't know how he did it, but I think Harry summoned it." The Dark Lord didn't speak for quite some time and Hermione and Ron started squirming under the scrutiny.

"Why are you so quick to give up information, Ms. Granger? Mr. Weasley does not seem quite so eager to speak." Hermione was shaking in fear and her eyes shimmered with tears as she stared at the ground.

"I…Harry told us about what you were like when he was here before. You…you were nice. You didn't hurt him." Finally, with a burst of Gryffindor courage, she looked Voldemort straight in the eye. "The way he talked about you, you were nothing like the man that he told us about from Fourth Year. Even now you don't seem…like an evil megalomanic or what have you. You've changed. I don't know how much. This could be, and is likely, a big trick just to get Harry on your side. But there is also the chance that you could be better for him that Professor Dumbledore." Finally, Ron broke his silence with a growl.

"Almost anyone would be better than Dumbledore." Tom raised an eyebrow and huffed in amusement, startling both students.

"I would have to agree with you, Mr. Weasley. That man treats people as pawns and cares nothing for their lives and potential suffering." The Dark Lord looked back and forth between the two Gryffindors for another moment and then came to a decision. "Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to help Harry at this time besides wait. I will have Rodolphus and Rabastan show you to your rooms. Understand the extreme trust I am gifting you with by allowing you to keep your wands." When they both nodded, he continued. "Ms. Granger, I trust you to keep an eye on Harry's wand for him until he is well enough to have it back. Also, I will give you the same warning I gave Harry. Draco Malfoy is also a guest here. I expect you all to remain civil with each other. Also know that he has been… _spoken to_ regarding his behavior and choice of insults whilst at school. Clear?" When Ron and Hermione nodded again, Voldemort stood.

"Very well. Come." The two scrambled to follow the Dark Lord from the room, and nearly ran into the Lestrange brothers who were waiting outside.

"My Lord," Rodolphus said, bowing his head. "I have heard that Harry has returned to us and he is not well." It wasn't phrased as a question, but the Dark Lord answered it as one.

"That is correct. He suffered trauma when the Order attacked Malfoy Manor and has not received proper treatment since he was taken from us. You two will escort Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley to their rooms. Put them near Harry and myself." Hermione was surprised to see genuine concern in the Death Eater's faces even as the two brothers nodded. As they were led away, Hermione did something stupid.

"Wait! Uh…Sir?" Tom froze and turned with a brow raised in question at the witch calling for him. She went pale as she realized what she had done but persevered even though Ron tried to pull her back and stop her. "I…can we see Harry? Please?" Tom closed his eyes in self-rebuke, knowing he should have anticipated the question. He opened them when he answered.

"When he is stable and well enough, I will have you brought to the Infirmary to see him. For now, it would be best to keep visitors to a minimum." The last comment was also directed to the Lestrange brother who sadly nodded their understanding.

"Th-thank you, Sir." Tom nodded in acknowledgment and left. Ron and Hermione stared after the man that was nothing like they expected.

"Come along, you two. We'll give you a tour and then show you to your rooms." Rabastan spoke softly as he ushered the two students along. "Harry will be fine and you will get to see him soon." Ron and Hermione couldn't do anything but follow the Death Eaters further from their friend.

* * *

Severus jolted awake when a House Elf popped into the room right next to him.

"Master Dark Lord says Master Severus and Master Harry must eat. Master Dark Lord also wishes to know about Master Harry's health." Snape sighed and sat up in the chair he had fallen asleep in. Rubbing his face gave him time to get his thoughts in order.

"Thank you," he said in regards to the food the elf brought him. He had not wanted to go to the dining room to eat and leave his son. "Harry is asleep now. The cut on his head and his bruises have healed but his temperature is still a bit high. I fear he did not get a Fever Reducer in time and his fever will spike soon. That is all I know at this time." The elf bowed in acknowledgement to the dismissal and popped out of the room.

Severus looked at the food and though it smelled delicious, found he wasn't hungry. He set aside the tray and debated whether or not to wake Harry to eat. A quick Tempus told him that Harry had been sleeping for two hours and himself only half an hour. Knowing the boy needed to be able to sleep later that night, Severus decided to wake him.

"Harry. Harry, wake up. There's some food for you. Wake up now." Harry groaned and turned away from Snape's voice. The Potion's Master sighed and lightly brushed Harry's hair from the boy's forehead as he checked Harry's temperature. He frowned as Harry's skin actually felt warmer than before. "Harry, you need to wake up," he said more insistently. Harry groaned again.

"Don' wanna. Please…sleep." The boy's words sounded as if it was a struggle to speak which only heightened Snape's concern.

"I know you want to sleep, but you need to sit up and eat a little bit. I promise it will help you feel better. Then you can sleep more once you're finished." Harry turned back towards Snape, dragging the sheets off of Nagini in the process. The large snake was watching the whole thing in both concern and amusement.

"Promise," the boy questioned. His eyes were open to slits, staring at the black blob that was insisting he wake.

"Yes, Harry. I promise you can go back to sleep after you eat." Harry glared at him for another few moments before a quiet, "'kay," came out of his mouth. Severus silently cheered in his head and helped the boy sit up.

Severus kept a close eye on Harry as he slowly ate the food. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. Each swallow looked like an effort, and Severus was guessing it was due to the nausea. Taking many potions in succession was more likely to upset your stomach, and unfortunately for Harry, taking an Anti-Nausea potion would only make it worse. It took a solid half hour for Harry to get down most of what was on the plate, and at that point the boy looked more likely to face plant in the food than eat it.

Harry put the fork down and looked at Snape plaintively.

"That is enough, Harry. Thank you." Harry nodded pitifully, then groaned when the slight movement caused ripples of pain through his skull. Severus winced in sympathy then took the tray from Harry's lap to help him lay back down.

When Harry was settled and his glasses were back on the nightstand once more, he surprised his…father…by talking instead of going right back to sleep.

"You keep calling me Harry," he said quietly. Snape froze and then slowly nodded.

"Yes." He didn't know what else to say, how to explain himself.

"Bu'…you don't like me." Harry frowned and he suddenly looked very upset. Before Severus could respond Harry continued, this time with tears coating his words. "Why doesn' my family like me? They hate me." Severus didn't know what to do and was starting to panic, which only made him angry because Severus Snape did _not_ panic.

"I'm sure they do not hate you, you silly boy," which was absolutely contrary to what he had discovered about the boy earlier but it just came out. Harry just cried though and rubbed his face on the pillow beneath him like a little boy.

"Yes, they do. They told me. H-Hate me jus like you do. No family for Harry; no one likes the Freak. Freak sleeps in the cupboard. No supper for Freak." Severus was do his damnedest not to blow something up with his magic. How could he have been so _wrong_ about the boy?

"I do not hate you, Harry. I…I am sorry to have given that impression." Harry's crying quieted and he looked at the Potion's Master curiously.

"But…you hurt me." Those four words sent a shard of pain lancing through Snape's heart and for seconds after he could not catch his breath. Finally, he nodded.

"Yes…yes I did." When he looked at Harry to speak more, beg for forgiveness, anything, he found the boy asleep and Nagini glaring at him. Severus paid no mind to the tear that tickled his cheek.

* * *

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than usual but I've been having trouble getting this out. I think I'm just not used to writing Hermione and Ron into my HP stories as significant characters. Hopefully this will change soon and I can get my flow back.**

 **Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Fickle Fate:Chapter 20

 **I have been on this computer all day doing work and haven't touched my stories once. How sad! However, I do have a new chapter for you! Also please note that this week was extremely busy for me and I had very little time to get any writing done. As such, please be understanding should my next update be a little late or short. Thank you!**

 **Warnings: Implied child abuse, graphic (not super graphic but present) child abuse, mentions of murder and torture.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Tug of War**

Sirius threw himself into a dusty armchair and growled at nothing in particular. His godson and his friends had disappeared in the midst of a fight between Order Members hours ago. In his fear and anger, Sirius was able to gather the old family magic embedded in the house and bodily expel Dumbledore and the man's cohorts. Now that they didn't have to play nice, he didn't want them in his home.

At this point, he was just waiting for Remus to show up so they could formulate a plan to retrieve Harry, Ron and Hermione. Sirius was also avoiding the Twins at the moment, not wanting to curse them to oblivion for what they had told him.

 _"They went where?!" The Twins shared a sheepish look. After their brother and his friends had disappeared they revealed everything they knew to Sirius, knowing they wouldn't be able to get to them on their own._

 _"'Mione said if they had to they were going to use the Emergency Portkey Lucius Malfoy made for Harry to get him back to Malfoy Manor," Fred started._

 _"It was a backup plan in case they needed to run before Lupin showed up," George finished._

 _"So they just went right back to Voldemort!?" The Twins cringed and shrugged, not knowing what to say to placate the man._

 _"'Mione seemed to think there was a slim chance no one would be there, that they'd relocate after the Order attacked the last time," George offered._

 _"Yeah, but she also said anywhere away from Dumbledore was better, no matter where that was," Fred piped up, earning a smack to the stomach from his twin. Sirius cursed and paced back and forth. Before he could interrogate them more a loud boom emanated from upstairs. All three men quickly rushed to the source._

 _They stopped by a door with smoke leaking out from the crack between the door and the floor. With his wand at the ready, Sirius pushed the door open and more smoke billowed out. The Twins coughed as the putrid fog burned their lungs. A slash of Sirius's wand banished the smoke and they found the source. A cauldron was set up in the center of the room. Tattered wards surrounded it. Markings on the floor showed that the wards were done in the ancient way, not requiring a wand, but drawings with chalk instead. Clearly the explosion of the cauldron's contents was too much for the protective ward to contain everything, but it prevented any significant damage to the room._

 _Sirius wasn't much into potions but he could recognize the scenario for what it was._

 _"Harry and his friends must have been planning to use whatever was in that to aid our escape. My guess is Hermione put wards around it should they have to leave in a hurry, unable to banish it." Fred and George agreed._

 _"Sounds like 'Mione." Still seething at the twins for what they revealed to him, Sirius stalked from the room._

Which brought him to this moment, sulking in a decrepit room, fit only for mold and rats. He seethed and seethed until his anger gave way to worry and exhaustion. Against his will, he eventually fell into a fitful sleep, riddled with nightmares of showing up to Godric's Hollow to find James and Lily murdered, but in James's place was a 15 year old Harry. Sirius's heart broke even as he slept.

Sirius was startled awake a few hours later by a hand on his shoulder. Sirius's wand was up and pressed into the intruder's cheek before he was aware of the situation.

"It's alright, Sirius. It's me." Sirius let out a shaky sigh of relief when he realized it was Remus in front of him. The next moment he was throwing his arms around his best friend and clinging to the poor werewolf with all of his strength. Remus's arms came up to hug his friend right back but soon enough he was pulling away and demanding answers.

"What's happened, Padfoot? Where are Harry and his friends and why do the Twins look terrified?" Said twins were hanging back in the doorway, apparently having followed Remus up to the room Sirius burrowed himself in. Padfoot couldn't hold back an instinctual growl at the two red-heads and Remus raised an eyebrow. "Was that necessary? Come on. I need lots of tea and you need to explain everything that's happened since I was gone."

Sirius hauled his friend down to the kitchen, shoving passed the Twins rather roughly, and started heating water for the tea. Once Remus was comfortable and Sirius had taken a few breaths to calm himself, Padfoot began catching Remus up on _everything_.

Their tea had been made, served and gone cold by the time Sirius was done. Remus was sitting there in stunned silence. His face was expressionless, but his knuckles were white from where his hands gripped the edge of the table too tightly.

"Let me make sure I understand you," Remus's voice was stone cold and Sirius couldn't help his automatic flinch at the tone. "Dumbledore sold Harry to Lucius Malfoy, likely in the _hopes_ of Harry being killed by the Dark Lord. While he's there, the Dark Order are 'nice' to Harry and tell him that Severus Snape is his father, not James. Dumbledore fears that You-Know-Who is trying to turn Harry rather than kill him, so he sends the Order of the Phoenix to kidnap Harry back. While he's here, you all make a plan to escape, and were only waiting for me to show up when everything went to hell. Now, Harry and his friends are back in the hands of the Dark Lord. Harry's hurt, and Dumbledore and his followers are currently trying to find a new Headquarters." After a few moments, Remus tacked on: "Oh, and the Twins knew that Dumbledore was going to do something and decided to not tell anyone and just let it happen, _on top of_ knowing that the three students planned to return to the Dark Lord if the first plan to escape failed...which it did." The last bit was said with a growl under the words, and Sirius heard a faint squeak of fear in a room across the hall.

"That's about it." Remus nodded, his lips pressed tight together and the wolf flashed in his eyes. The next moment, he picked up his mug, threw the tea down his throat like a shot and fixed Sirius with a hard look.

"So, how are we going to get our cub back?"

* * *

Ron and Hermione sat close together at the breakfast table, eyeing everyone else in suspicion. Ron was nervous enough that even his great appetite was diminished.

They had been kept away from Harry since they arrived and slept in separate rooms during the night. Everyone had been strangely polite, bordering on kind, and it was putting them even more on edge. Even Draco, who sat directly across from them, hadn't said more than good morning to either of them.

"I will inquire as to whether Harry is ready for visitors or not," Tom said, breaking the silence. The Dark Lord then surprised all of them by sending off a Patronus, a snake that look a lot like Nagini. Hermione and Ron were stunned that the man could produce such "Light" magic while the wizard's followers were looking at him in both awe and a bit of pride. It was like they were seeing a bit of who they had signed up to follow coming back day by day.

Hermione anxiously poked at a strawberry on her plate while they waited. Luckily it wasn't long before the answer returned in the form of a bright, glowing doe. Hermione's mind was already racing trying to explain why Professor Snape's Patronus was a doe, so similar to Harry's which was a stag.

 _"He is still resting, however, in a few hours he should-,"_ there was a muffled shout in the background, _"Harry!"_ Tom, Hermione and Ron were on their feet in an instant, the Dark Lord leading the charge towards the Infirmary. None of them noticed the Lestrange brothers itching to jump to their feet while Lucius had to lay a hand on Draco's shoulder to keep his son from following them. He had a feeling more people would only make the situation worse, whatever it was.

Meanwhile, the Dark Lord and Harry's best friends burst through the doors of the Infirmary. The scene before them was startling to say the least.

Harry was sweating profusely and switching back and forth between begging to be let go and screaming at someone to stop. He was struggling against Severus who was holding him down by the wrists. The Potion's Master looked way out of his depth as he kept trying to tell Harry that whatever he was seeing wasn't real.

"Oi! Get off of him!" Ron barreled towards the bed before Hermione could stop him and the Weasley boy shoved Snape away from his best friend. Unfortunately, the action only caused Harry to scream louder and Severus to tighten his grip on the boy's wrists, leaving faint bruises.

"Severus, what is happening," Riddle barked. He had his wand out and ready to stun either the Weasley boy or his follower. Severus turned his glare from his ex-student and had to shout to be heard over his son's cries.

"His fever has spiked again and he's having some sort of violent fever dream." He turned his attention back to the red-haired Gryffindor. "You idiot boy! I am trying to make sure he doesn't hurt himself!" Ron glared back just as fiercely.

"No, all you're doing is hurting him! That's not how you do it." Something in the boy's words cut through Snape's immediate anger and indignation.

"Oh? And _you_ know how," he questioned, part mocking and part desperate. Before Ron could rise to the bait, Hermione stepped forward.

"Professor, we've dealt with Harry's violent nightmares before. This is a little different but the principle is still the same. I think we can help." The three conscious wizards turned their attention to the witch, Snape scowling, Ron smirking, and Voldemort looking contemplative. Finally, when a sound emendated from Harry as a mixture between a scream and a sob, Tom motioned the witch forward.

"Help him. Severus, step back." The Potion's Master reluctantly stepped away and let Ron and Hermione take his place. Ron got on the bed and maneuvered himself behind Harry. He wrapped his long arms around Harry, pinning the smaller boy's arms to his chest. Ron's legs settled on either side of Harry's hips, and he turned his head to the side to avoid getting his nose broken. Hermione climbed up and started stroking Harry's sweat slick hair and talking to him soothingly. Neither of them noticed Nagini slipping out of the bed and slithering around to circle Tom's feet.

"It's alright, Harry. You're safe. Ron and I are here. We won't let anyone hurt you." Harry's head thrashed side to side.

"Please, please no…it _hurts_ , Uncle. I'm sorry!" Tears started slipping down Hermione's face but she kept going.

"Harry, your Uncle isn't here. I swear. It's just us. You're safe. He can't hurt you anymore. You're safe, Harry." It felt like an eternity before their friend finally started to calm down. By that point, Ron was getting tired from trying to stop Harry's struggles and Hermione's nerves were frayed. Like someone flipped a switch, Harry suddenly went limp against Ron's chest and turned his head into Hermione's hand. He whimpered once before seeming to settle down completely.

"Mum…" he said quietly and Hermione bit back her own sob. Occasionally when she and Ron had helped Harry through nightmares, taking positions just like they were, Harry would recognize a female voice offering him comfort and would call Hermione 'Mum'. It never failed to break her heart a little.

"Yes, Harry, I'm here. You're safe now. You're safe." Harry hummed in contentment before falling asleep. Ron let out a huge sigh of relief, and his hold loosened into more of a hug. Hermione kissed Harry's forehead even as tears wet her cheeks.

Severus and Voldemort watched the display with varying levels of appreciation and grief. Voldemort felt more in tune with the situation, because he used his link with Harry to get a sense for what the boy was thinking. It made him a bit nauseous given that the boy's high fever and concussion was scrambling his thoughts up, but he was able to grasp a strong sense of peace once he accepted his friends' presence. Severus on the other hand primarily felt grief, grief for the boy and for himself, and fear that he would mess up yet again.

Eventually Hermione sighed and leaned back against the headboard next to Ron who was still holding Harry.

"His fever is still very high, Sir. I know you've given him plenty of potions but would just plain ice work better at this point?" It was a testament to her exhaustion that Ms. Granger was asking rather than telling Snape her idea. Severus returned the sentiment by replying with a distinct lack of bite.

"That might be our best option, Ms. Granger. Any more potions would just lead to an overdose at this point." Severus sighed quietly and called for a house elf to bring some ice for the boy and a towel.

"I will suspend your lessons until Harry is well again," Tom Riddle finally spoke. Ron and Hermione looked at him in shock. "I have a feeling he might heal faster with you two by his side." Hermione actually smiled at the Dark Lord in gratitude while Ron just hugged Harry tighter and nodded his understanding. Tom turned his attention to the boy's father. "Severus, did you learn anything more from the diagnostic spell?" The Potion's Master shook his head in the negative.

"No, my Lord. It was as I thought: a rather bad concussion with heightened symptoms due to intermediate Concussion Potion dosage and overexertion, both physically and magically, and a fever caused by a slight infection in an untreated wound on his temple, also heightened by the overexertion. With proper and consistent treatment, he should recover soon." He did not tell his Lord what he had seen on the boy's back, and in fact only an hour earlier had conjured a pajama shirt for the boy to wear should others stop by unannounced. Severus suspected that Voldemort knew, at least partially, what the boy's treatment was like from his relatives. Severus himself did not know the full story but he certainly knew enough now to realize it was not good.

"Very good. I will leave you to look after these three. I will keep the others from flooding in here. Do be civil, Severus." With that, the Dark Lord left, leaving Severus to babysit three young Gryffindors. The Potion's Master sighed internally, but kept his head up as he returned to his seat by Harry's bed side. He would not let his dislike of the children's school house and previous conduct keep him from being there for his son. He would not fail him or Lily. Not again.

* * *

 **Remus is here! Finally! I love how he (and Sirius) view Harry as a cub, that almost primal protective instinct. I can't wait to see what happens when those two finally clash with Snape. Oh...did I give something away? ;)**

 **Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

Fickle Fate:Chapter 21

 **I am so tired and ready for this semester to be over. SO TIRED!**

 **Warnings: Implied "morning wood" if you catch my drift, and a likely poor attempt at humor!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Civil and Less Than Civil Conversations**

The next time Harry woke he felt sore all over but his head felt a lot better. He slowly blinked his eyes open and tried to take stock of everything. Harry couldn't remember-

With a gasp he sat up, or at least tried to. He felt weak and a pair of familiar arms were holding him gently but with strength.

"It's ok, Mate. Just go back to sleep," Ron murmured. Harry looked back at his best friend and then startled when he felt someone move on the other side of him. He saw Hermione asleep and curling towards him and felt like he could breathe again. Something shifted in the corner of his vision and Harry tensed again.

"Ah, you're awake," came a quiet yet familiar voice. Harry squinted through the darkness at the Potion's Master sitting by his bedside.

"S-sir?" Harry's voice was scratchy and he tried to clear his throat to fix it. His glasses were suddenly in his face, and he took them and put them on. Severus came in to focus quickly and Harry saw that he was now standing by Harry's bed. "W-what happened," he asked as Snape laid the back of his hand on the young wizard's forehead.

"You were very ill when you arrived. The lack of potions in your system and the sudden bursts of magic overwhelmed you and rather suddenly increased your symptoms. You had a very serious fever. This is the first time you have been truly coherent since you got here." Harry slowly nodded his understanding.

"Sorry. Sirius did what he could but he didn't have much Concussion Potion stocked up. He also didn't want to leave us alone in the house to get more." Severus hummed noncommittally.

"Well, I cannot say that enough Concussion Potion would have made necessarily caused this situation to be fully avoided. You had a cut on your temple that got infected. Your skin must have split open from your harsh contact with the Malfoys' granite floors." Snape's tone spoke to indifference but Harry was almost certain he caught a glimpse of genuine concern in the man's eyes. Then again, that was probably wishful thinking on his part.

"Well…thanks, Sir. What…what are 'Mione and Ron doing here? Are they alright?" Severus snorted and returned to his seat.

"Your fever spiked dangerously and you were hallucinating. You were screaming and fighting me. Your friends burst in here and Mr. Weasley said I was 'doing it wrong'. Apparently the other two members of the Golden Trio have a system when it comes to dealing with your nightmares. When they proved successful, Lord Voldemort ordered them to remain with you in addition to my presence as your stand-in nurse." Severus raised a brow when he caught sight of his son's cheeks blooming with color. Harry bowed his head and his tone spoke to the shame he felt.

"Yeah, Ron figured out over the years the best way to hold me so I don't hurt myself. One night though…it was so bad. No one could calm me down and I wasn't waking up. Neville ran to get Hermione as a last ditch effort before they had to get Professor McGonagall. Hogwarts must have sensed the urgency because it allowed her into our dorm room. Apparently the moment she started talking to me, I relaxed and stopped fighting. Within a few minutes I was fully asleep again. Now, they do it whenever it's necessary. I almost think Hermione casts like a…Baby Monitor Charm on me with how much she comes by without needing to be fetched by one of the other guys." Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, smiling sadly at them. "They're the best friends I could ever have…and I ruin their lives almost daily."

Severus was quiet and didn't comment when he saw Harry wipe a tear from his cheek. After a long few moments he spoke.

"I am sure they do not see your friendship that way, Harry. Believe me, watching you three together, seeing what they would do for you and you for them…the last thing they would call you is their burden." The Potion's Master knew he hit the nail on the head with how Harry's fingers clenched the bed sheets beneath him.

"Yeah well…it'd be safer for them if they did," he said quietly. The next moment he huffed and bitter laugh. "You know I think this is the longest civil conversation we've had that wasn't over a bubbling cauldron." Snape leaned back in his chair and hummed again, this time in agreement.

"Mmmm. I believe the Dark Lord would call that progress." Harry huffed again this time in genuine amusement.

"Anyone else would call it a miracle." Severus' lip twitched in amusement that he refused to vocalize. "How…how long…?" Harry gestured to his situation of being tucked into bed and surrounded by his two sleeping friends. "You said this is the first time I've been coherent since I got here." Snape nodded.

"Yes. You arrived yesterday morning. Your fever spiked this morning and your two friends have been here since. It is long past dinner." As if one cue, Harry's stomach growled. Harry scowled down at it as if it had betrayed him. Severus conjured a Nutrition Potion and held it out to his son. "Eating actual food this late would only upset your stomach. This should satisfy you until morning." Harry grimaced at the potion's smell but downed it anyway. Severus was right and Harry no longer felt like his stomach was going to eat itself. Then Harry tasted something underneath the typical grainy taste of the Nutrition Potion.

"Wait…this has…Passion…Flower…." Harry's eyes fluttered shut as he succumbed to the potion's added sleep qualities. As such, the young man did not see the impressed look on Severus's face that his son managed to detected the altered ingredient. The Potion's Master settled back in his chair and watched his son sleep until he was eventually pulled down into his own unconsciousness.

* * *

The next time Harry woke the sun was peeking through the curtains of the room and the chair next to his bed was empty. He weakly batted away the bushy hair that was trying to get into his mouth. The young man startled for a moment when a large hand pressed against the center of his chest and pulled him against another body. A few moments later he finally registered his situation and relaxed.

Harry let himself drift and enjoy the silence but half an hour later he felt something…distinct pressing against his backside. It certainly wasn't the first time he and Ron had woken up in that situation, and they had gotten a lot better at dealing with it. Admittedly the first few times they sprung apart in the morning, faces bright red, and avoided eye contact for the rest of the day. Now, though, they were old hat at this. Harry gently patted the arm Ron had wrapped around him.

"Ron," he murmured. "Ron, come on, Mate." Ron grumbled and snuggled his face deeper into Harry's hair if that was possible. Harry bit back a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Ron, wake up." Eventually, Harry felt Ron pulling back a bit and becoming more aware.

"Wha-" the red-head mumbled. Harry patted his hand in a comforting manner.

"I hate to break it to you like this, Ron, but I just don't feel the same way. Know that this will never hurt our friendship-" Ron growled and pinched Harry's side before rolling away from Harry and onto his back.

"Oh shove off, Harry," Ron grumbled. Harry couldn't contain his snickers and rolled over so he was facing his best friend.

"Unrequited love is a serious issue, Ron, and I don't want you to think that I don't care. However, I have already devoted my heart to another and I don't want-" Harry's teasing was cut off by a pillow smacking him in the face. Harry couldn't contain his laughter then and Ron just kept whacking him with the pillow before turning his assault into a tickle attack.

Harry's legs lashed out on instinct as he tried to escape Ron's fingers in his sides.

"Ron…Ron! I'm gonna…I'm gonna kick 'Mione if you keep-" Harry wheezed out when he could. They both froze when Hermione suddenly lifted her head and glared at them. Her hair was a bit of a mess and she only looked half awake. After a few moments she huffed.

" _Boys_ ," she muttered. Harry opened his mouth to apologize when Hermione suddenly seemed wide awake and began joining in on the tickling. Harry cried out for help between his laughter and batted at them with weak arms.

A couple minutes later their laughter was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. The Trio froze and stared wide-eyed at one Lucius Malfoy. The blond was smirking in amusement, one eyebrow raised.

"I was coming to see if Harry was feeling any better, but I must admit he seems quite well at the moment." Harry's cheeks pinked but he gave Lucius a small smile.

"Hi, Mr. Malfoy." Harry felt more than saw Ron's head whip around so the red-head could stare at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Harry figured it was because his friend hadn't ever fully believed that Harry was on decent terms with the Inner Circle. Honestly a few weeks ago he never would have believed it himself. Lucius's smirk shifted into a more genuine, if subdued, smile.

"Hello, Young Man. Glad to have you back with us." Lucius unexpectedly reached out a hand to feel Harry's forehead. The blond faltered for just a moment when Harry instinctively flinched back. However, so as not to embarrass the boy, Lucius pretended to not notice and placed the back of his hand on Harry's forehead. "You are still a little warm, however, this is a significant improvement from earlier."

"Do you think Harry would be allowed to leave the infirmary, Mr. Malfoy?" All of the wizards in the room were surprised to hear Hermione address Lucius so easily, but the young witch ignored their questioning looks.

"I would wait for Severus to make that decision, given he is our stand in Healer for the moment. My own experience would tell me that it would be best if young Harry stayed in bed for another day at least, given he only recently became coherent. It wouldn't do for him to leap from bed the moment he felt a bit better only to land himself right back here, even worse than before." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"You just asked him that because you knew I wouldn't have listened to you if you told me to stay in bed longer." Lucius lifted a brow in amusement at Harry's accusation against Hermione.

"Well, did it work," the witch asked. Harry tilted his head as if he was considering.

"Hmmmmm….nope."

"You will stay in that bed for _at least_ another day, Mr. Potter. If you leave before I deem you properly recovered you will find very quickly that I am much worse than Ms. Granger or Madame Pomfrey." Severus's sharp voice cut through the air from the doorway he was standing in. Harry visibly flinched at the harsh tone, and a small part of him was hurt that Severus didn't call him Harry. However, it wasn't the time for self-introspection as to why that was, so Harry focused on playing off his flinch instead.

"I'm not sure that's physically possible, Sir." Snape scowled at the boy.

"Watch. Me." Harry leaned back instinctively as the Potion's Master loomed over him. Lucius huffed and rolled his eyes from his place at the foot of the bed.

"Really, Severus. The boy has been awake not even an hour. Can't you tone down the theatrics?" Suddenly two heads popped around the open doorway.

"The Little Lion is awake!" Harry didn't even have time to roll his eyes before Rabastan and Rodolphus were rushing into the room and scooping him up into a strange three-way hug.

"Put him down, you idiots! Merlin's sake, he still has healing to do and you're throwing him around like a rag-doll." Harry would never admit how much he actually enjoyed the enthusiastic hug and how disappointed he was that the Lestrange brothers let him go. The two older wizards didn't seem happy to release him, though, which soothed him a bit. Harry suddenly remembered his two best friends and turned to see them eyeing the newcomers warily.

"Umm…guys this is Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange. They were kind of my bodyguards-slash-professors while I was here before." The two brothers bowed simultaneously to Ron and Hermione reminding the Trio of the Twins. The Twins… "Sirius! I-Is he okay!? I have to check! We left him with Dumbledore and-" Harry struggled with the bedsheets wrapped around his legs and suddenly he had his best friends and numerous Death Eaters rushing him, trying to get him to stay in bed.

"Harry, I'm sure he's fine. Just calm down."

"Stay here, Mate. You can't go rushing off right now."

"Mr. Potter, don't you _dare_ leave this bed!"

"Your godfather is a strong wizard, young man, I'm sure he's fine." And on and on, the words were thrown at him, as Harry's heart raced and panic was shrouding his mind.

"ENOUGH!" Silence reigned as Voldemort glared at the occupants of the room. Harry was the first to break the silence.

"Tom, Tom, I need to go! I need to make sure Sirius is alright. Please, please! I need to go!" Tom Riddle sighed upon hearing Harry begging him to let the boy go. Ignoring his followers and the young wizard's nervous friends, Tom approached the bed and laid his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Harry, listen to me. There is no need for you to go running off." Tom held up a hand when Harry opened his mouth to protest. "I have heard from a very reliable source that your godfather expelled Dumbledore and his Order from the safe house before any harm could come to him. He revoked the Fidelis over the Order as well, so he will be safe in his home." Harry stared at him for a few moments, trying to tell whether or not Tom was lying to him. Tom pushed his thoughts into the boy's mind gently so Harry had a better grasp on the truthfulness of his little speech. "Now, I think you have had enough excitement for now. I'm going to clear the room of non-essential individuals and then have breakfast sent in for you. You will rest here for the day, alright? If you take good care of yourself today, I'm sure I can convince your father to let you have some fresh air tomorrow." Harry nodded his agreement slowly and quietly as suddenly exhaustion crept up on him. Tom gave him a gentle smile (both unnatural and too natural on his human face) and stood.

As promised he cleared the room, soon leaving the Trio and Severus alone with each other. Harry laid there quietly between his two friends, waiting for breakfast to be sent, when a thought suddenly struck him: he hadn't protested at all when Tom referred to Severus as his father!

* * *

 **My stories are usually so angsty, I thought I'd try and toss a little humor and fluff. Not sure if it worked, but hey it was fun trying. ;)**

 **Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

Fickle Fate:Chapter 22

 **This chapter was slow going for me but it finally took off this past week. Hope you like it!**

 **Warnings: SEVERE angst! So...the usual ;)**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Less Than Human**

Dumbledore was _livid,_ unbelievably so. He chewed his fifth lemon drop to pieces as he glared holes into the desktop in front of him. After everything he had done for that blasted boy he runs into the arms of the dark wizard who murdered his parents? Then Sirius Black had the audacity to kick the Order from _their_ Headquarters. That insane wizard despised that building! Now his followers were whining about having to find a new place to meet and one of his most devoted was in St. Mungo's being treated for a deadly snake attack. The worst thing by far though, was what he had discovered that morning.

He had been on to the next location he believed held a Horcrux. The first two had been empty but the next one he was certain held what he was looking for. Dumbledore had arrived at the decrepit house and knew immediately that something was off…

 _It was too…dead. He checked for booby traps but found none. Cautiously walking inside, he took in the disturbed dust and magical blast marks on the walls. With a scowl, he cast Revelio and Accio. Both spells produced nothing, at least, no hidden bodies or objects that responded to a summoning charm._

 _Albus followed the footsteps before him until they stopped at a disturbed floorboard. He quickly crouched down and ripped the floorboard away. A bellow of rage escaped his mouth as he realized that this_ had _been a resting place of a Horcrux. However, someone else had gotten to it first._

He could only assume that Voldemort suspected his plan and moved the Horcruxes to new locations.

"I will have to hasten my search. Luckily, I am almost positive one is inside the castle," he muttered to himself. "I must find it before the school year and Potter returns. No doubt Tom will have him retrieve the Horcrux for him."

"You have finally bitten off more than you can chew, Dumbledore." The Headmaster turned his head to glare at the Sorting Hat. The rumpled thing was smirking at him from its place on a high shelf. "I warned you decades ago that your manipulations would land you in a mess you wouldn't be able to talk yourself out of." Dumbledore cast a Fire Hex in the hopes of burning the Hat to ash, but as usual, the spell only dissipated harmlessly when it made contact. "Ha! If only your beloved followers could see your temper! You will not win, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Try putting _that_ in a crystal ball and passing it off as a prophecy."

Dumbledore winced as he bit down too harshly on his sixth lemon drop. The Sorting Hat merely smirked at him.

* * *

If anyone took a good look at Tom Riddle they would notice that he was slightly paler than when he arrived and his hands were shaking. However, he was at Gringotts and the goblins had no care for a wizard's health. As such, Tom passed through the lobby of the bank unbothered by those around him. Had all of his energy not been focussed on not stumbling he would smirk at the thought of people's faces if they knew Voldemort walked among them in Diagon Alley.

He breathed in deeply once he made it to a relatively empty alley around the side of Gringotts. The next moment he did something quite dangerous given his weakened state: he apparated back to Lestrange manor.

"My Lord!" Tom blinked his eyes open, looking up into the concerned faces of Lucius Malfoy and Rabastan Lestrange. It took him a moment to realize he was on the floor. When Lucius offered him a hand up, he surprised both of his followers by taking the offered help. He let Lucius lead him to a comfortable arm chair where he promptly collapsed into it. With an exhausted wave of his hand he gestured for the two of them to take a seat across from him. They did so, confused and expectant looks on their faces.

"Where are Severus and Rodolphus," he asked, his voice hoarse.

"They are both with our three lions. Severus agreed to let Harry fly about with his friends outside but insisted that he and Rodolphus be there to keep an eye on them," Rabastan answered. It had been three days since Harry had had his first completely coherent-and-awake day. He had only been allowed out of his bed for a couple of hours at a time, his father having been overprotective in his scowling, vicious way.

"Very well. I will inform you of what I have been doing on my own these past few weeks, then I will need to rest. You will let them know the situation as soon as you are able." Once Tom had their nods of understanding, he told them about his attempts at hunting down his Horcruxes and reuniting the pieces of his soul.

"…This afternoon I went to Gringotts to see if the Horcrux I had given to Bellatrix for safe keeping was still intact. It was and I reunited that piece of myself. It was…more grueling than the last time." Rabastan and Lucius were quiet for some time, letting the information sink in. They knew the Dark Lord had done something _dark_ to remain alive as he had, but Horcruxes…? Those were highly illegal and avoided by even the darkest of wizards for a reason. Suddenly a thought struck Lucius and he found his hands gripping the arms of his chair tight enough to hurt.

"Tell me the boy is not a Horcrux." When Tom did not answer right away Lucius cursed loudly and vehemently. "How could you!? He is just a child and you turned him into a vessel of a rotten, malevolent piece of you!" Lucius paused, not registering the shame all over Tom's face, and the Malfoy Patriarch lost the color in his face. "That's why you wanted him, isn't it? That is why you decided you wanted the boy instead of killing him. It wasn't about reuniting a son and father! You wanted your _Horcrux_ where you could see it!" It was a testament to both men that wands were not drawn and curses were not exchanged.

Lucius had grown quite a backbone when it came to speaking with the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord had gained a lot of his humanity back with his soul, as well as intense feelings of shame and guilt. As Lucius stood practically panting in rage and winding up for another volley of insults, Rabastan broke his silence.

"Why? Why would you do such a thing?" Tom hung his head as his follower's quiet questions washed over him.

"Truly it was unintended. You may not believe me but making the first Horcrux was not my intention either. I had grown desperate for some way to defeat Dumbledore and I found… _that_ spell. I never planned to use it; in truth it terrified me. But then later that day…Dumbledore had organized another attack, much more vicious than the previous ones. An innocent child was caught in the cross fire and killed right in front of me. I was so _angry_ that I…I ended up killing one of his followers in cold blood. I felt my soul splitting and I panicked. I was terrified of what would happen if I was torn apart and Dumbledore was left to reign. I put the piece of soul into the ring on my finger." Tom spun the Ring, which he now wore, slowly around his finger as he recounted how it all began.

"What the book did not tell me was that after creating one Horcrux you slowly become more and more obsessed with making more. As your soul gets torn into more pieces, the less humanity you have. You stop caring for anything more than power. It wasn't until you convinced me, Lucius, to perform the spell Wormtail was supposed to use that I started to return to myself. That spell took a Horcrux I created and returned the piece of soul to me. It restored enough of my humanity that I began thinking more clearly. With each Horcrux I find I am returned to myself.

"Harry _was_ an accident. When I killed his parents…" Tom paused, remembering James's fear and Lily's begging and baby Harry's crying. "When I killed James and Lily Potter I did not intend to make a Horcrux. However, when the Killing Curse rebounded on me and destroyed my body, a piece of my soul trying to survive sought out the only living thing left in the room." Rabastan muttered the obvious into the ensuing quiet:

" _Harry_." Tom nodded dejectedly.

"Nagini is also a Horcrux if you had not deduced that, however she was intentionally made as such. While returning the pieces of my soul to my body is helping immensely, being around those two has much the same effect. Somehow the pieces of myself in them have not…rotted, as Lucius said. It is as if those two are…too pure for my soul to have turned them dark." Before either of the other wizards could comment, Rodolphus all but burst through the closed doors.

"Raba- Oh, My Lord! Harry is quite ill. Severus has him ensconced in the Infirmary again but the Little Lion keeps asking for you." Tom's brows pulled together in confusion, his addled brain taking a few moments to realize what was going on. Then it finally clicked: their connection! Harry was likely feeling ill because Tom was feeling ill. The looks Rabastan and Lucius were sending him clearly said they thought the same thing.

The next question though would be whether or not Tom would make it all the way down to the Infirmary. After debating the best course of action in his head for a few moments, he finally came to a reluctant conclusion. Swallowing his pride, Tom met his Death Eaters' eyes head on.

"I am going to need some assistance." Rodolphus's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull but he reigned in his expressions a second later.

"Uh…of course. Of course, My Lord!" Rodolphus came forward and helped Voldemort get to his feet and supported him with his shoulder. It took all of Tom's willpower to keep his chin up as his follower helped him down the hallway, down a set of stairs and around and down another long hallways to the Infirmary. The Dark Lord knew if he had to be levitated down he would lose all dignity.

After what felt like forever, the four wizards finally arrived at the Infirmary. When they walked in the conversation in the room stopped, though Harry still moaned in discomfort.

"What the bloody hell did you do, you snake-faced bast-"

"Harry James Potter, don't you dare finish that sentence!" Hermione's voice almost reached shrill during her rebuke and Harry winced. His head was pounding fiercely and his scar burned.

"Ms. Granger, lower your volume. I _don't_ have a migraine and yet your voice still hurts my head," Snape snarled. Hermione blushed and looked down at the floor. Ron patted her shoulder awkwardly in comfort.

Knowing he had to tell Harry eventually, Tom figured it was best to no longer put it off. He sighed tiredly and motioned towards Severus and Harry's two friends.

"Rabastan, Lucius, could you take everyone out and explain to them what I told you? I wish to explain everything to Harry privately." Ron opened his mouth to protest but surprisingly Severus beat him to the punch.

"My Lord, is that really necessary? I would rather stay here and continue to monitor Harry's health." Tom narrowed his eyes at his Potion's Master and steeled his tone.

" _Yes, Severus_. It is necessary. I need to speak with the boy in private. Rabastan and Lucius will explain the same things to you _elsewhere_." Snape bit back a scowl and tersely nodded. His hand twitched as though he wanted to reach out to Harry before leaving, but the Potion's Master held himself back and left without another protest. Harry watched with apprehension as his friends were shooed out of the room until it was just him and Voldemort.

The Dark Lord visibly deflated the moment the door shut. He lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Harry swallowed and eventually broke the silence when it seemed the older wizard was not going to.

"Does…does this…Dumbledore said that he had to tell me something." Tom lifted his head and furrowed his brows at the teenager in confusion. Harry wet his lips and stuttered onward. "He said that…that there was a reason you were keeping me alive. He…seemed pretty convinced that it would change my mind about you." Tom was visibly distressed. He suspected the Headmaster at least assumed there _might_ be a chance that Voldemort had created Horcruxes, but Tom honestly didn't know how much the old fool knew.

"And what did he tell you?" Harry shrugged with some effort, still feeling quite ill.

"He didn't get the chance. A fight broke out between the twins, Sirius, and Dumbledore's followers and interrupted him. Then Nagini came out and…here we are." Tom nodded slowly.

"I see. I…I suppose that is for the best. I would rather you heard it from me instead of that demented old fool." Harry was quiet for a few moments and didn't answer.

"It's something really bad, isn't it?" Tom chest ached upon seeing the despair and fear in Harry's eyes. The young man was so brave but Tom could read the weariness in his very bones and knew that this could break him. The Dark Lord did something quite out of character then. He stood from his seat and made his way over to Harry's bed.

Voldemort sat on Harry's bed, stretched his legs out in front of him and rested his back against the headboard. Harry watched him warily the whole time, but Tom didn't comment. Finally, the Dark Lord broke his silence.

"It is something quite…unforgivable if I had to pick a word to describe it. I'm also sure that the Headmaster wouldn't have been able to make it sound any worse than it is. I wanted to tell you before. In fact I was going to tell you before but that day we were attacked by the Order and you were taken away." Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. He thought Voldemort was only going to tell him now because he was forced to by circumstances. "For what it's worth, Harry, I am so, _so_ sorry."

Harry's mouth fell open in complete shock upon hearing the Dark Lord apologize to him. His mouth stayed open for the duration of Tom's explanation of the situation. By the end of the Dark Lord's speech Harry had shut down and tears were running down his face. He just…had no idea what to do.

* * *

 **So they all finally know! Wonder how this will affect Harry and Severus's relationship...hmmmm...**

 **Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Fickle Fate:Chapter 23

 **I was going to update this story a couple of hours ago and then realized I hadn't actually finished the new chapter...ha ha...I'm tired.**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **To the...Rescue?**

Ron was currently losing his lunch in a bucket Rabastan was only just able to conjure for him in time. Hermione was sobbing horrifically, while Rodolphus and Severus both looked like they wanted to kill the Dark Lord themselves.

"F-Father?" Lucius turned to the doorway of the room they were in and was surprised to find his son standing there shaking. Given the boy's slightly sick expression he had heard them talking. The Malfoy Lord sighed and gestured for his son to enter and come to him. Lucius wrapped Draco in an embrace, uncaring of the other people present to witness his affections. "Did the Dark Lord really…how could he…" Lucius rubbed a hand up and down Draco's back to comfort him.

"Yes, Draco. Unfortunately he did. The Dark Lord is explaining everything to Harry right at this moment." At the mention of Harry Severus promptly stood and exited the room. No one bothered calling him back or following him.

The Potion's Master made his way back to the Infirmary and entered without knocking. By all appearances it looked as though Tom was finished explaining the situation to Harry. Tom looked equal parts exhausted and ashamed, not that Severus cared one bit at the moment, and Harry was silently crying and staring at the wall across from him. Snape tried to ignore the Dark Lord sitting next to his son and walked around to the other side of Harry's bed. He reached forward and pulled Harry into his arms, something he had never in a million years thought he would have done willingly.

Tom slowly got up from Harry's bed and stood. Severus closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at the man. Having his son in his arms was the only thing keeping Severus from killing the man where he stood.

Right when he made it to the door, Severus asked the Dark Lord a question.

"Do you intend to remove your shard of soul from my son?" Tom didn't turn around and only said,

"I think that should be Harry's decision. Don't you?" Without another word, Tom left and Severus and Harry were alone. They didn't speak for a while until finally,

"Dumbledore was hoping Voldemort would kill me so another Horcrux would be destroyed, wasn't he?" Severus's heart nearly stopped at the thought. He hadn't had time to consider that possibility as the whole my-son-is-a-Horcrux situation hadn't yet completely sunk in.

"That…would be a logical assumption." Harry jolted violently with the power of a sob. The boy's silent crying finally shattered into full blown sobs. Severus, unused to offering comfort, simply allowed himself to be used as an oversized handkerchief. Harry sobbed and sobbed until Snape worried the boy would make himself sick. "Hush, Harry. All of this sobbing will only make you feel worse. Calm yourself." Eventually, Harry did calm down, at which point he returned to his stoic, emotionless staring.

"How…" he finally began after long moments of silence. "How do I even know if I'm me? What if…what if I did die that night and Voldemort's… _soul shard_ just used my dead body as a vessel?" Snape awkwardly ran his hand up and down the boy's arm.

"You would be very different, I assure you. You would have been pure evil, the soul shard having been so warped and twisted that given time to grow and worsen you would have become a younger version of the crazed Dark Lord you once knew. Somehow, your own soul has managed to suppress the Dark Lord's rotten existence in you and you remain…innocent." Harry huffed without amusement.

" _Innocent,_ " the boy scoffed. "I don't think anyone would use that term to describe me." The young man was shocked when he heard Snape growl.

"Those people are idiots. You may not like to be reminded, young man, but you are still a child. A child who has been thrust into dangerous and traumatic circumstances every single year of his magical education and…and has been forced to live with horrific excuses for guardians." Harry stiffened when Severus spoke in reference to his relatives. Surely the man didn't know…? "You may not believe me when I say it and I will admit that only a month ago I would not have said and believed such a thing myself but…you are innocent. The Dark Lord's soul does not taint your own." Harry didn't respond right away. He just let Snap- his father's words sink in. Finally, in a near silent voice, he said,

"Thank you."

* * *

"Padfoot, have you found anything?" Remus came around the corner and found his best friend kneeling in front of a trunk in the attic. Moony stopped in his tracks as he recognized the formidable object. "Is…is that…?" Sirius audibly sniffed and nodded without turning around.

"Yeah. I think James left it to me in his will and it just…showed up here. I've never checked up here until today." The two Marauders and the Twins had been scouring the house for something of Harry's, something special. They needed an object drenched in Harry's magical signature to be able to properly track him.

Sirius had been near the end of his rope when he went to check the attic. He almost screamed when he saw the familiar trunk just sitting in the middle of the space. As Remus came to sit at his side Sirius quickly wiped the tears from his face.

The chest had belonged to James and the man kept his most prized possessions in it. Every material object that meant something to him was in this trunk and Sirius was shocked to find that James had left it to him and not Harry. Then again, James probably thought that as Godfather Sirius would have custody of Harry and would share the contents with his son. Finally shaking himself from his increasingly dark thoughts, Sirius unlocked the trunk.

Remus gasped as he saw the contents. It was filled with pictures of their days at Hogwarts and his short married life with Lily and dozens of photos of baby Harry. Remus reached in and picked up a photo of him when he first got to hold Harry. He had been terrified that his wolf would suddenly have an urge to attack such a tiny thing….or that he'd drop the baby. The werewolf had been stunned to find that his predator side actually bonded automatically with the child and viewed the boy as a pack pup. His wolf had nearly driven him mad when Dumbledore forced him to stay away from Harry growing up.

Sirius's throat tightened with tears as he picked up a stuffed animal laying in the corner of the trunk. It was Harry's favorite as a baby, a black dog that looked quite a bit like Padfoot. Lifting it to his nose, his animagus-enhanced senses picked up the strong (due to preservation magic) scent of Harry as a baby. It also held strong tones of Lily and James and it broke Sirius's heart. He needed to get out of the attic and he moved to stand.

"I've got something we can use," he croaked out. Remus didn't follow him to his feet though.

"Sirius, since when has James kept a journal?" Sirius's brows furrowed as he saw the leather bound book Remus held.

"I…I don't know. I didn't think he did." Sirius almost got lost in his thoughts again but he shook the fog off. "It doesn't matter now though. Bring it with us so we can look at it later. We have what we need." Remus nodded and shrunk the journal before slipping it into his jacket pocket.

The two Marauders left the attic with haste and called for the Twins as they headed down to the kitchen. Looking at the clock Sirius knew it was time. It was two in the morning which was guaranteed to be the safest time for them to strike. He laid Harry's stuffed animal out on the table and drew his wand. The Twins stood on the other side of the table opposite Sirius and Remus and drew their wands as well. Finally, Remus drew his wand and they pointed to the middle of the toy. They began chanting the tracking spell and after a minute or so a hazy image began to form over the animal.

When the image was as clear as it was going to get, the four wizards stuck their wands into the image at the same time. Feeling like they were sucked through a straw, they disappeared from Grimmauld Place.

The moment they arrived at their destination, they stood back to back and didn't move. They were in the entrance hall of a rather grand manor. For once the Twins didn't feel the need to joke and lessen the tension. Without making a sound they waited for an alarm to go off or hear a horde of Death Eaters running towards them. When nothing of the sort happened they let out a collective breath. As planned, they cast the strongest Notice-Me-Not charms they could on themselves along with Silencing Charms to quiet their footsteps.

"Point me Harry," Remus whispered. His wand suddenly tugged him towards a hall on their right. Slowly, the four men followed the spell's direction. At each noise they froze. It felt like hours before they finally reached a set of doors set deep in the dark hallway. None of them dared to cast a Lumos for fear of drawing attention despite the Notice-Me-Not charms.

Remus could smell his cub on the other side of the doors and he had to fight against his instincts that screamed for him to simply burst into the room. Instead, he slowly turned the handle of the door and pushed it open. He could feel Sirius's breath against the back of his neck, his friend was so close. Gritting his teeth, the werewolf stepped into the room, soon followed by the other three wizards. George closed the door behind them.

Sirius and Remus followed their noses, not even needing a Lumos charm. They could tell Harry was only a few feet ahead of them. Sirius had to bite back a growl when he realized the other prominent smell in the room was of Severus Snape. The scent was a bit faded, indicating the man wasn't actually present, but he had clearly spent a lot of time in the room and around Harry to leave them distinct of an impression. Moony's wolf kicked in enough to give him some night vision and he guided his friend and the Twins over to a bed.

When they reached the edge of the bed, Sirius reached forward and grabbed Harry's shoulder to wake him. He didn't expect a fist to come up and nearly break his nose.

" _Bloody hell,"_ he hissed, biting his tongue hard to keep from shouting.

"Si-Sirius?" They could hear the owner of the violent fist sit up and grab some things off of a nightstand. Soon a soft Lumos was lighting up Harry's bleary-eyed confused face. "Sirius! Remus! What are you guys doing here?!" The light shifted and Harry saw the Twins as well, for once looking dead serious.

"We came to rescue you of course," George whispered. Remus reached for Harry and started coaxing him from the bed.

"Yes, and that means we need to move quickly. Grab any essentials. We also need to get ahold of Ron and Hermione." Harry moved automatically though his brain was still trying to catch up with the situation. His godfather was off to the side wiping away the blood that ran from his nose.

"Where would we go," Harry finally managed to ask. He changed into jeans and a jumper, figuring pajamas were not good escape clothes.

"We can go to America. I want to get you as far away from the UK as possible and out of this war," Sirius whispered. As soon as his godfather's words caught up with him, Harry froze. His heart sank and a pit formed in his stomach.

"Siri…I can't do that." His rescuers looked at him incredulously.

"What? Of course you can. We'll all go. Together." Harry shook his head even as tears started to well in his eyes.

"No you don't understand. Tom… _Voldemort_ told me something and…Dumbledore won't just let me walk away from this war, Sirius." The grown wizards were shocked and greatly concerned to hear Harry address the Dark Lord by his first name.

"Harry, I don't know what he's told you, but whatever it is we can protect you. Now come on we have to go." Moony grabbed Harry's wrist and started dragging him to the doors of the room when he suddenly stopped. He smelled someone he didn't recognize. Whoever it was was coming towards them.

The werewolf called to Sirius as he pushed Harry further behind him. Sirius and Remus stood in front of Harry with their wands drawn and pointed to the door while the Twins flanked the young wizard on either side. Harry gripped his wand tightly prepared to use it to stop anyone from getting hurt. He knew whoever was coming wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't want his godfather or Remus or the Twins getting harmed because they fought.

At this point they could hear footsteps. They got closer and closer until they were right outside the door…and then they kept walking. The wizards all let out a short sigh of relief and then they waited another few moments for the person to keep walking away. Finally, when they felt it was safe, Sirius and Remus led them forward again.

Sirius slowly opened the door and stuck his head out. Looking up and down the hallway he saw no one around. He motioned for the others to follow him as he stepped out into the hallway. Black cast a near silent Point Me-Ron spell and started to guide the group down the hall.

Harry's heart rate was through the roof and he honestly felt like he would pass out soon from hyperventilating. He just knew that this wasn't going to end well. They were going to run into Lucius Malfoy or one of the Lestrange brothers and Sirius would start slinging spells about and someone was going to get hurt.

A floor board creaked behind them and they all whipped around. It took them a moment to realize they all had their wands pointed directly into the face of Tom Riddle.

"You know it is quite rude to steal people in the middle of the night," said a rather grumpy Dark Lord. "Come. I think we all need to have a talk."

* * *

 **So we're finally going to have a clash between two groups who care about Harry. Wonder what's going to happen next. Stay tuned!**

 **Please review!**


	24. Chapter 24

Fickle Fate:Chapter 24

 **One more semester down and only one more left until graduation! It's crazy how fast time flies. Here's another chapter!**

 **Warnings: Angst and a bit of cursing in this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Neutral**

Sirius had a tight grip on Harry's wrist and was using it to keep his godson firmly behind him. It forced him to hold his arm at an awkward angle but he didn't care. Remus walked a half step behind him so he covered Harry's right side. George did the same on Harry's left and Fred took up the rear of the group, none of them having put their wands away.

If they would have been able to, they would have apparated out of there the moment Voldemort showed up. However, the wards around the manor wouldn't allow them to do that, since technically they weren't supposed to be there in the first place. The only reason they had been able to get _in_ was because the tracking spell they used was designed by Aurors to get past wards a criminal might have set up. Sirius had learned it a long time ago…before he had gotten sentenced to Azkaban.

The group walked in silence and eventually Tom led them into a sitting room. He gestured for the 'rescuers' and Harry to enter first and then he closed and locked the door behind him. When Sirius looked ready to protest, Tom raised an unamused brow.

"I could have hexed you to oblivion for what you've already done. You should be glad that all I am doing is locking the door, with myself inside the room with you mind you." He waved his hand, indicating they should all take a seat, before collapsing into a seat himself. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly let out a breath of air.

"T-Tom, please don't hurt them. They just want to keep me safe and-" Tom held up a hand to stop Harry's rambling.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone, Harry. Though if they try to take you away I will have no choice but to stop them." At this Voldemort shot the four men across from him a look that clearly said 'Don't try me.' "Mr. Black, I would also suggest you release your godson's wrist unless you want him to have a permanent bruise there." Sirius released Harry's wrist like it was a hot pot and whimpered when he saw that, indeed, a ring of bruising had already begun to show. Remus growled low in his throat and tugged Harry a little closer to his side. "Why don't you tell me just where exactly you were planning to go once you had gotten Harry out of the Manor?"

When Remus and Sirius didn't seem to be forth coming, Harry opened his mouth to answer. Surprisingly, the Twins beat him to it.

"We wanted to get Harry, Hermione and our brother," Fred said, despite Sirius growling at him to shut up.

"There was talk of…of leaving the country to keep them out of the war," George continued. Voldemort sent Harry a discrete look to ask if that was indeed what was happening. Harry didn't know how to feel towards the Dark Lord given what he had recently learned, but he knew being honest at that point was his best option. As such he nodded shortly. Tom pursed his lips and before he said any more to his…'guests,' he summoned some tea.

The rescuers and Harry reluctantly took a cup each. Still Voldemort didn't speak right away, letting everyone take a few sips of their tea. The man shot Harry an apologetic look and the young man didn't understand why…until his eyelids began drooping with no way to stop them.

"Tom, you…you bast-" Harry fell asleep mid word and only Tom's expectant wand-work stopped the boy's cup from spilling onto the floor. As expected Sirius and Remus went berserk and started throwing hexes. Tom rolled his eyes and summoned their wands to himself while casting Petrificus Totalus on the two, putting an end to the drama. The Dark Lord stood and walked over to Harry. He explained himself as he scooped Harry into his arms.

"It was just a Sleeping Draught. Harry has had a very difficult day. He was not feeling well and then I had to tell him some rather horrific news. I also know he did not fall asleep for quite some time, in fact not long before you all showed up to drag him out of bed. He needs sleep and I don't intend for him to deal with this conversation for the second time today." Tom transfigured a chair into a futon and laid Harry down on it. Summoning a blanket and pillow the Dark Lord tucked the Boy-Who-Lived in and left him to rest. The Heir of Slytherin returned to his seat and stared Remus and Sirius down. The Twins had been cooperative so far so he didn't concern himself with them.

"Now. I am going to undo the spell on you. You will sit there and you will listen. Nothing more, nothing less. I told Harry that I wouldn't hurt anyone and I would like to keep that promise." With a wave of his wand, the werewolf and the animagus were back to normal. Surprisingly neither of them spoke. After a moment of quiet Voldemort began.

"You two spoke of taking Harry and his friends out of the country to keep them out of the war, correct," Tom asked the Twins. Both young men nodded. "Did Harry try to tell you that that wouldn't work?" Again the Twins nodded.

"He…he said that he couldn't go and Dumbledore wouldn't just let him walk away," Fred said. Tom sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid Harry is correct. You can believe me or not, but I would rather keep all children out of the war, especially Harry." It seemed at that Sirius couldn't contain himself.

"But you brought him into it! It's your fault he's now supposed to be the Wizarding World's saviour! It's your fault he never knew his parents!" Remus gripped Sirius's wrist to keep the man from launching himself at the Dark Lord. The werewolf feared Voldemort would hex them again but, surprisingly, the man let Sirius rant.

"You are quite right, Sirius Black, though it wasn't all me. For what it's worth…I am sorry." Sirius's mouth snapped shut. Never in a million years had he expected to have the Dark Lord apologize to him for killing his best friend and his godson's parents. "I am now going to tell you what I revealed to my followers and Harry this afternoon. I allowed you one outburst but for this next revelation you must allow me to finish before saying anything. Control yourselves or I will have you cool your heels in the Manor's dungeons." Once he received nods from all four men, Voldemort began to tell the story of the Horcruxes.

* * *

Harry groaned softly and lifted a hand to rub over his eyes. His eyes felt gritty and he couldn't quite get his thoughts in order.

"-nld Weasley, don't you dare jump on him," came Hermione's hissing voice. Harry could tell that they were over by the door. They must still think he was asleep.

"But, 'Mione," Ron not-so-quietly-whispered back, "if I don't wake him how I normally would he'll think that we think of him differently after what we learned yesterday…about his scar and all. We don't think of him differently so we shouldn't treat him differently." There was a stunned pause.

"Ron, that's…that's very considerate of you." Harry couldn't help but agree and huff in amusement when Ron scoffed indignantly.

"Always the tone of surprise." The next instant there was the slapping of feet on the floor and Harry was assaulted by his best friend's flying leap of an attack.

"Oooff! Ron! You behemoth! Get off!" Harry's smile negated any harshness in his tone and Ron only rolled more completely on top of him.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Did you say jump on you again?" Harry's eyes widened.

"Don't you dare!" Ron hurried up to try and get to his feet and fall on Harry again when Hermione intervened.

"Ron, stop before you break him! Honestly, he's just gotten over being ill." She rolled her eyes. " _Boys_." Ron flopped onto his back instead, the impact jostling Harry and almost causing him to fall off the bed. Harry smacked Ron with his pillow before sitting up and grabbing his glasses. When they weren't where he normally kept them he froze. Suddenly everything came rushing back to him.

"Oh no," he moaned, getting his friends' attention immediately. "Guys, Sirius, Remus and the Twins showed up last night trying to rescue us." As expected Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped in shock.

"What?! But…well obviously it didn't work," Hermione said weakly. Ron finally got his voice back and grabbed Harry's shoulder when his friend tried to rush out of the door.

"Mate, what happened?" Harry shrugged and flung his hands around agitatedly. He didn't notice but the windows in the room were quivering under the increasing magical pressure.

"Tom caught us. He took us to a room to 'talk'. I begged him not to hurt them and he said he wouldn't. But then he called for tea and the arsehole spiked mine with a Sleeping Draught. He must have…brought me back here." Harry was a little confused as he pictured the oddly kind gesture. The young man quickly shook his head to focus back on the important things. "Guys, we have to make sure they're okay. C'mon. Everyone's probably at breakfast." Finally, Harry broke out of Ron's grip and hurried out of the room.

Hermione and Ron ran after him and all three had to vault over Nagini.

" _Young One! Where are you running to?!"_

" _Sorry!_ " Harry hissed back. None of them noticed the large snake slithering quickly after them. It didn't take them long to reach the dining room. Harry felt a little light headed but he refused to let that stop him.

Their frantic entrance startled everyone in the room.

"Never took you for a morning person, Little Lion," Rabastan said. Harry ignored him and marched right up to Voldemort.

"Where are they? What did you do to them?" Tom sighed and set down his tea.

"They are in their own rooms. We simply talked. I also recommended that they take breakfast in their rooms so I will have the chance to break the news to those present. Given the…history between a few of them, I thought it best." Tom ended with a rather condescending brow raise and Harry finally realized just how rude he was being and blushed. Then he remembered that Tom drugged him and didn't care as much.

"Okay that's…that's not a bad idea." Tom huffed and turned his attention back to the morning paper.

"I'm so glad you approve. Now sit and eat before your father gets here and starts blaming me for you not eating." Harry rolled his eyes and took a seat. Assuming that everything was settled, Hermione and Ron took seats as well though they kept casting worried looked between the Dark Lord and Harry.

The Lestrange brothers shared a confused look but realizing the other didn't know what was going on, they both shrugged and turned back to serving themselves. Only a minute or so later, the two Malfoy men and Severus showed up. Severus narrowed his eyes upon seeing his son seated next to the Dark Lord but he supposed there wasn't much he could do about it. If he could he would just grab Harry and take him far away from the war. Unfortunately, he knew that couldn't happen. Snape awkwardly cleared his throat in the quiet of the dining room.

"Did you sleep well, Mr. Po…Harry?" Severus didn't wince at his slip up only because he had years of practice control his facial expressions.

Harry was a little surprised at the Potion Master's question, not being used to the man publicly caring for his well-being. As such it took him a moment to get his mouth working.

"Uh…well, I mean…kind of?" When Snape furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to ask just what the Gryffindor meant, Voldemort swooped in to save him.

"Harry's sleep was interrupted this past evening by a rescue attempt." As expected that jolted everyone at the table who wasn't aware of last night's situation.

"How did they get past the wards? My alarm didn't even go off," Rodolphus exclaimed with a scowl.

"Was it the Order again? I'm assuming you succeeded my Lord since Harry is still with us," Lucius said, significantly more calmly.

"Harry, are you alright," Snape asked, again startling Harry with his sincere concern. Voldemort raised his hand to stave off anymore questions.

"Firstly, Rodolphus, the alarm did go off. I simply…altered your wards slightly so as to be a more subtle warning. Instead of blaring a loud noise throughout the manor they will alert those most capable of handling the situation. Clearly, they decided that was me, so I dealt with it." The Lestrange brothers weren't pleased to hear that their wards had been tampered with without their knowledge but they acknowledged the success of the idea with a silent nod. "Secondly, it was not the Order."

Harry held his breath. He was well aware of the history between the Potion's Master and his godfather and Remus. Harry feared the man would stalk off to kill Sirius and Remus. Also, a very small part of himself that he tried desperately to squash was afraid that the two Marauders' presence would make Snape revert to his cruel ways and he'd hate Harry again.

"It was Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, as well as Fred and George Weasley." Sure enough Snape had a murderous expression on his face. Surprisingly though, he kept his mouth shut. "I intercepted them when they got Harry, and we all sat down to have a chat. I gave Harry a Sleeping Draught so he didn't have to relive the conversation I had with him earlier that day."

 _"I'm still mad at you for that_ ," Harry sent towards Tom while glaring viciously. Tom didn't even look at him when he answered:

" _I am not sorry."_ Voldemort continued to speak out loud.

"The four men have been told everything and they have decided to not join us, but remain neutral. They are only here for Harry's sake, and Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. I made the decision to have them remain in their rooms for breakfast so their presence wasn't suddenly forced upon you. Finally, as for you last question, I believe Harry should answer that." Harry suddenly found himself under the power of many eyes and he gulped.

He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

* * *

 **Here it comes! And for the reviewer who asked, yes Sirius and them were planning to grab Ron and Hermione too. They were rushing to grab them before anyone showed up.**

 **Please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

Fickle Fate:Chapter 25

 **Guys my last semester starts in 2 days...I'm freaking out! It is going to be my busiest semester yet so please be understanding if my updates aren't as strictly scheduled as they have been.**

 **Warnings: Angst and a bit of cursing in this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Sparks to Flame**

Harry looked down at the food on his plate and bit the inside of his cheek.

"I'm fine," he muttered. He just barely kept himself from jumping when Hermione lightly elbowed him in the ribs. Harry looked over at his friend and she silently passed him his glasses. The young Gryffindor wizard blushed as he finally realized he had run out of the Infirmary without his glasses.

"My Lord, will Harry be resuming his lessons soon?" All eyes jumped from Harry to Draco in moments. Harry was shocked to realize that his once-rival deliberately took the attention from him because it made him uncomfortable.

"Why do you care, Malfoy," Ron asked, suspicion clear in his voice. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Because I could use the extra practice to ensure I keep up my usual phenomenal performance at school, and I thought I'd join." The blond's over the top answer solidified Harry's suspicion that Draco was trying to help him. It was…odd but Harry would take what he could get. Voldemort cleared his throat.

"Well, I would suggest that this situation with our new guests gets settled today and then, as long as you are feeling well, Harry, lessons will start back up tomorrow." Knowing there was no point in objecting, Harry reluctantly nodded. If he was being honest a (VERY!) small part of himself missed calm potion lessons with Professor Snape.

The rest of the meal was spent in relative silence. When it finally ended Voldemort surveyed the room before sighing internally. He just wanted to get everything over with. So instead of having their guests introduced to his followers and the students in small groups, he would just have everyone meet at the same time. Tom assumed it would just lead to one larger explosion than multiple small ones.

He called for the Lestranges' house elf and when she arrived, asked her to fetch the band of rescuers and lead them to the welcoming room near the front of the Manor. Tom told everyone present the plan and they all made their way to the appropriate room. They arrived first and Harry found he couldn't sit down. He felt like everyone was watching him and wanted to hide again. Nagini had followed them into the room and tried to convince the young man to calm down and seat himself but Harry just hissed back that he was to anxious to.

After what seemed like forever the door to the room opened and Sirius, Remus and the Twins appeared. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and ran to throw his arms around Sirius.

"You're okay!"

 _"I told you they were,"_ Tom spoke into his mind.

 _"Shut up,"_ Harry mentally spat back. Harry was so absorbed in reuniting with his godfather and mentor that he didn't really notice Ron reuniting with the Twins. The group of Gryffindors also didn't notice a certain Potion's Master growing more and more tense and angry.

Severus found himself irrationally jealous upon seeing his…his son fling himself onto the animagus and Snape tried to fight off the unpleasant feeling with anger. Lucius watched his friend out of the corner of his eye and waited for the inevitable clash.

When Harry finally pulled out of the embrace from the two ex-Order members, he was pulled close to Sirius' side.

"Well," Remus started after awkwardly clearing his throat. "I suppose I'll just say hello then. I'm not going to apologize for coming to save my cub and his friends." Internally, the human part of Remus winced at his phrasing while his wolf-half stuck his nose up in its surety. The wolf refused to apologize for protecting children of his pack, especially one so close to him.

Tom tilted his head in acknowledgement while Severus sneered. Harry blushed a bit at being referred to as cub, even as a warm feeling in his chest grew. That warmth was quenched, however, when he looked to the Potion's Master and saw such familiar anger.

"Who does your wolf acknowledge as pack, for future reference," Rodolphus suddenly blurted out. Everyone turned to him in surprise but he simply raised a brow that said, 'It's a good question and you know it.' Remus cleared his throat to cover his momentary shock. He wasn't used to being asked about his wolf side other than whether he could restrain it. The lack of disparagement in the question also was a pleasant change from the norm.

"My wolf considers Sirius as a brotherly pack mate. James was too before…and Lily by extension was another sisterly, sometimes motherly pack mate. Harry…is considered my cub, especially now since his parents are gone." For the next part, Remus purposely did not look at Harry. "Since my wolf considers itself the alpha of my pack and Harry being my brother's cub, it naturally falls to me to take care of him as _my_ cub…according to instinct. Hermione and Ron and the Twins, through their connection to Harry, are also considered part of my pack. The pack bond with them is not as strong as with Sirius or Harry but it is present." He sent the witch and wizards in question a soft smile and was pleased to find that they didn't show any disgust at being considered part of his pack.

"Fascinating. So how much of your action is driven by instinct from the wolf and-" Rodolphus was cut off by his brother.

"You can pester Lupin about werewolf instincts and the like later, Rodolphus." Turning his attention to those still standing he said, "You can take a seat, you know." When Sirius seemed reluctant, Harry dragged him and Remus over to a love seat so they could all sit together. Hermione and Ron squeezed together with the Twins on another love seat. Hermione flashed Harry a smile when he met her eyes which he returned.

Before anyone else could say anything Nagini slithered over to Harry and raised herself up to rest her head on Harry's knee.

 _"Who are these new people, Young One,"_ she asked as her tongue flickered out to taste the air. _"You seem quite happy they are here though they do not."_ Harry did not know that he was giving his godfather a heart attack when he gently pet Nagini, stroking the scales on her head between her eyes.

 _"This is my godfather and…a very good friend that I look to as a father figure. The two who look alike are my friend's brothers. They came last night to rescue me and my friends from Tom and aren't happy that I…I have to stay."_ Harry caught himself before he said 'want' instead of 'have.' He couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that he actually…liked staying at Lestrange Manor. Harry finally noticed the slightly strained atmosphere when Lucius cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. The young Gryffindor saw his godfather's terrified expression and grinned sheepishly at the man.

"As I told you last night, while you are here, remember that you are guests. You are only here for the sake of Harry and his friends. I expect everyone to comport themselves appropriately. Even if you cannot stand each other," here Voldemort looked pointedly between Sirius and Severus, "you will at least behave civilly. I will not put up with any fighting. Perhaps as incentive you should know that the children have been doing a marvelous job following the same request." The condescension was clear in the Dark Lord's tone.

"Where's my favorite psychotic cousin," Sirius asked instead of acknowledging Tom's warning. The Dark Lord raised an unimpressed eyebrow and simply said,

"I killed her." The Golden Trio were shocked. Harry hadn't ever thought to ask what had happened to the Dark Lord's number one fan and was just happy that she was gone. Neither him nor his friends ever thought that Voldemort would kill Bellatrix. Judging by the other Gryffindors' expressions they felt the same way. Harry squashed the small part of him that was happy and wondered whether Neville would be happy to hear she was dead or upset that he wasn't the one to put her in her grave. "It was brought to my attention that she was acting in a way that I disapproved of. I took her aside, Crucio'd her a few times and then gave her a choice. I told her the Dark side would be moving in a new direction from that point on and she could either change with it or leave England and never come back. She snapped, thought I was an impostor and attacked me. Clearly her mind was more addled than I imagined. She had become a liability and instead of subduing her I put her down."

Harry clearly saw Draco's relief when the Dark Lord left out just what Bellatrix had been doing that Voldemort disapproved of. He knew the Slytherin boy was mortified that anyone had found out even if it meant he wasn't getting hurt anymore.

"Well," Sirius drawled after a few moments of awkward silence. "Can't say I'll miss her. Now, what exactly do you expect to happen here?" Lord Black gestured generally to the room at large, hoping to convey the entire convoluted situation.

"Harry has been training in a number of subjects with my followers here. Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, and now the younger Mr. Malfoy will be joining him. I had it in mind that you two could assist in the teaching," Tom said indicating he meant Remus and Sirius. Then he looked at the Twins. "You two however," he paused in contemplation. "Perhaps…target practice?" The Gryffindors (sans Harry) in the room began to immediately protest, not cottoning on to Voldemort's humor, while the Slytherin's bit back smirks.

"Tom, I think they might be more helpful with…retrieval of… _you know_. I know they said they'd be neutral but Fred and George know Hogwarts inside and out. Besides, do you really want these two getting bored here," Harry cajoled. The Twins seemed intrigued at the mysterious mission and the Inner Circle paled at the thought of bored Weasley Twins burning down the Manor. Voldemort didn't answer right away, narrowing his eyes at the Twins thoughtfully.

"I will consider it," he finally said. "However, should I decide you could be of use and you accept, you will need to take an Unbreakable Vow. Think on that before you make your decision. Rodolphus, Rabastan, go and make my Death Eaters be productive. I fear they will begin to act out of turn without orders soon. Lucius, contact the wolves in the north. See if they will meet with me. Draco, I'm sure you can occupy yourself, perhaps with preparation for the lessons you will start attending tomorrow." The wizards in question all nodded their acceptance of the tasks assigned and left the room.

Lucius shot Severus a look before he left that clearly said to play nice. Once they were gone Voldemort wordlessly summoned something.

"I found this in the foyer last night. I think, perhaps, it belongs to one of you." Tom held out a stuffed animal in the shape of a fluffy black dog. Harry cocked his head to the side as he looked at the toy, some memory stirring in the back of his brain.

"We used that to get here," George said.

"Yeah, Sirius found it," Fred added. Snape sneered at the toy.

"Your vanity encouraged you to create a replica of your animagus form, did it, Black?" Sirius scowled at the Potion's Master and growled.

"It's Harry's! It was his favorite toy as a child. Lily made it for him, you nasty git." Tom handed the toy to Harry who slowly took hold of it. Harry's fingers slid through the fur and he was hit with a strong feeling of happiness and warmth. He clutched it to his chest and buried his face in the toy dog's fur.

"Paddy," he whispered, suddenly recalling the doll's name. Remus smiled beside him.

"We needed something soaked in your magical signature to locate you. We found that in James's trunk in the attic. It held items that mattered to him the most and was sent to Sirius's home when he died, likely according to his will," the werewolf explained to his cub. Severus' control snapped as they brought up James Potter, the man who got to raise his child for a year and made his school years a living hell.

"What else was in there? Stupid quidditch trophies? A book detailing every prank the Marauders ever pulled? Photos of himself?" Sirius was on his feet before anyone could blink.

"You shut your mouth! James was a great man, you snake! He had morals and honor!" Everyone was on their feet as the two men flew at each other.

"Don't speak to me about honor! That scoundrel didn't have an honorable bone in his body! He held a married woman captive and claimed a boy that was not his own!" Tom raised his wand, ready to curse the two men when Harry ran to his father and godfather, getting in the way. Ron and Hermione called out to the friend, afraid he'd get hurt.

"Harry, don't," Remus yelled.

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" Harry cried out as he hurried to stop them from hurting each other. At that point Sirius had one hand fisted in Snape's collar, pressing the man against the wall, and his other wrist was locked in Severus's own hand. The two grown men seemed likely to trade physical blows with their fists as if they forgot they had wands and magic at their disposal. They were so focussed on each other and their rage that they didn't notice Harry coming over.

Sirius yanked hard with his trapped arm and finally pulled free of Severus' grip. Unfortunately, momentum carried Sirius' fist directly into Harry's face, sending the boy crashing to the ground, crying out in pain and surprise.

Nobody moved. Sirius looked between his godson and his hand in horror. Harry knelt on the floor, cradling his bruised cheek, tears leaking from his eyes.

Suddenly the world started again. Nagini slithered over and reared up, hissing at the two men who had fought and hurt the Young One. Hermione, Ron and Remus rushed to Harry's side, while the Twins turned their wands on the Potion's Master and animagus, in case the men tried to make the situation worse.

Ron and Remus each took hold of one of Harry's elbows and helped the stunned boy to his feet.

"Take him to Lucius. He will help the boy," came the Dark Lord's icy tone. Certainly, all knew it was _Voldemort_ speaking in that moment, not the warmer, more human Tom Riddle. The three Gryffindor's rushed Harry from the room, and at Voldemort's gesture the Twins slowly followed.

This left Severus and Sirius alone with Nagini and the Dark Lord. Neither man was sure they would survive, but then again, neither of them were certain they should.

* * *

 **I laughed when I read a review by...I think RRW who guessed this happening exactly. Way to go! :)**

 **PS I don't know a thing about wolf packs, so take everything with a grain of salt here!**

 **Please review!**


	26. Chapter 26

Fickle Fate:Chapter 26

 **My friends! It's already 2 weeks into the semester and I'm...actually doing ok. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it. XD I'm probably just at a point where I don't really care and realize there's not much reason to be worrying as much as I normally do. Anyway, I got an interesting question in a review that I actually want your help with.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW YES OR NO: SHOULD HARRY HAVE A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP IN THIS STORY? IF YES THEN SUGGEST WHO (DEFINITELY NOT GINNY OR AN ADULT). No guarantees, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter that should hopefully help me make up my own mind. :)**

 **Warnings: Angst**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Anger and Assistance**

Lucius's head popped up in surprise as the doors to his borrowed office burst open. He set his quill down as a large group of people flooded in. His attention immediately went to Harry who was essentially being dragged into the room by Ronald Weasley and Remus Lupin.

When Lucius's eye lighted upon a large bruise beginning to form on Harry's cheekbone, rage flared in his chest.

"What happened," he hissed as he hurried forward. Lucius slowed his movements when he was in front of Harry and made sure the boy could see his hands before touching him. It was a habit he was slowly learning to use with his son as well (which broke his heart just at the thought but was not important at that moment). The blond wizard was concerned at the lack of reaction he got from the boy. Harry had a blank expression and let himself be moved without protest.

"If _I_ tell him, I'll end up leaving half way through to go murder someone," Remus growled, encouraging someone else to retell the events that happened not moments ago. Lucius silently gestured them to guide Harry to a couch which they did.

"Sirius and Professor Snape started insulting each other," Hermione slowly began, tears of sadness and anger slipping down her cheeks. "The professor insulted James Potter and Sirius just flew at him. Harry tried to stop them from hurting each other but…" She trailed off looking at the bruise on Harry's face.

"Harry got caught in the crossfire," Ron picked up. "He was in the wrong spot when Sirius finally wrenched his hand free from the Git's grip. I still want to kill the both of them but it was an accident. They didn't mean to hurt Harry." Lucius wasn't the only one surprised at Ron's statement. Given his usual temper it was shocking to hear Ron talking rationally about the incident.

The Malfoy Lord shoved his feelings on the matter to the back of his mind and pulled up a chair to sit right across from Harry. Nobody paid the Twins any mind when they slipped into the room. Lucius gently moved Harry's head around so he got a good look at everything.

"It looks like just a bruise, but I'll still cast a Diagnostic Charm to be sure, alright Young Man?" Harry didn't respond which was troubling. With a wave of his wand, magic swept over Harry and Lucius's suspicions were confirmed: deep bruising on the cheekbone, some cuts on the inside of Harry's cheek. He summoned a bruise salve and reached out to apply it to the bruise. Lucius froze when Remus growled at him.

Deciding on a safer course of action, Lucius handed Remus the bruise salve so the wolf could apply it. That seemed to calm Remus's creature side pretty well, much to everyone's relief.

"You might need a little more of this before bed, but after that it should be completely gone," Lucius explained.

Remus finished applying the bruise salve and Harry still didn't react. Hermione crouched in front of her friend when Lucius moved his chair, and laid a hand on Harry's knee.

"Harry, are you alright? Please say something." A few seconds went by and nothing and then Harry flinched.

"Voldemort is really mad at them," he whispered. Harry blinked a few times and seemed to shake himself and finally 'came back.' "I…Sirius hit me," he said dumbly. Several emotions flashed across Harry's face in the span of a couple seconds. "I…I don't…I can be mad right? He didn't mean to but he was being a git and fighting with Severus who was also being a git and then he HIT ME!" Loose items in the room began to shake and the others looked about warily. None of them knew that Harry had been practicing wandless magic but Hermione remembered how she saw him summon his wand from Dumbledore's robes.

"You have every right to be angry, Harry, but maybe…try and reign in your magic." Hermione didn't think telling Harry to calm down would be a good idea, and she was right. Harry furrowed his brow at her.

"What do you mean?" He looked around and saw things shaking and only then realized that _he_ was doing it. Harry quickly put a lid on his magic and tried to calm his anger a bit so he wouldn't make the room shake again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't…I'm sorry."

"It's perfectly alright, Harry," Remus assured, having reigned in his wolf enough to speak more than growl. "It's a little…atypical…to still have magical outbursts at your age, but it just shows that you are quite powerful." Ron nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Mate. Most people stop doing that a couple years before they go to Hogwarts. It's said that only super powerful magical folk still have control issues later in life, usually linked to strong emotions." Harry huffed and gave Ron and shaky smile.

"Careful, Ron. You're starting to act like Hermione, being all smart and considerate and emotionally mature." Those present chuckled while Ron playfully scowled. His cheeks reddened a bit when he muttered,

"And is that really a bad thing?" Hermione's own cheeks pinked when she heard Ron say that and the two wouldn't look at each other. Harry rolled his eyes. Instead of addressing the obvious crush in the room, Harry turned his attention to Lucius.

"Thank you for your help, Sir. I appreciate it." Lucius inclined his head.

"Of course. Know that you can always come to me if you need help again. All Inner Circle Death Eaters have at least basic first aid skills." After a pause he added, "I also want you to know that I am not mad at you nor will I take Severus's side over yours in this matter, not that I think it will come to that." Harry was strangely touched by that and smiled at Lucius. Then a thought occurred to him and he frowned.

"Can someone help me glamour this? I don't really want Draco or the Lestrange brothers to see it. I don't think Sirius or Severus need anyone else mad at them, and the Lestranges might actually kill them." When no one answered right away he added, "I also don't want either the two gits to stare guiltily at me for the next day or so. It would just make me more mad." Again, no one answered right away. Finally,

"If that is what you want, Harry," Remus sighed. "I guarantee you that at least Sirius will do that, glamour or no, even after you forgive them…should you choose to." Harry clenched his hands into fists on his thighs, irritated that Remus was correct.

"I know you're right, but…I still want to do the glamour." Remus nodded and with an easy flick of his wand, a glamour made Harry's bruise disappear.

"Alright; it's all gone. Now why don't you go spend some time with your friends. I want to have a chat with Lucius." Harry was a bit suspicious and wary about whatever Remus wanted to discuss with Lucius but nodded. Hermione took his hand and led them out of the room, with Ron and the Twins following closely behind.

* * *

It was lunch time and Severus's muscles were trembling so hard he wasn't sure he'd be able to use his utensils. The Dark Lord had made it very clear just how unhappy he was. Even though he hadn't been the one to hit Harry it felt like he did. He couldn't describe in words how his heart had dropped into his stomach the minute Black got his hand free Snape's grip. Severus had only just then noticed Harry's proximity to them and could tell from the trajectory where Black's fist would land.

The Potions Master hadn't breathed until Voldemort asked him a question.

 _"Are you two so driven by rage and bitterness that I need to lock you up for everyone's safety?" The Dark Lord's voice was icy though his red eyes flashed with flames. "Is your school-time rivalry so all consuming that you cannot be expected to control yourselves without help from the Imperius curse?" Sirius was still staring at the spot on the floor where Harry had fallen._

 _"My Lord-" Severus gasped. He was horrified by what their actions had caused. Part of him was still trying to process it._

 _"Crucio," the Dark Lord said without any trace of pity or mercy. Severus fell to the ground and clenched his jaw tightly to keep his screams contained. He waited for the curse to stop but after long moments it was still scorching his nerve endings._

 _"I would do the same to you if I didn't think it would worsen your already addled mind, Black. Instead, I will set you a task. You must beg me to stop torturing Severus. Only once I hear satisfactory pleas from you will I release him from this torture. When I am finished you must assist Severus to his rooms and help him recover. Isn't it sad that the greater torture for you is to be kind to someone?" Black had finally torn his eyes from the spot on the floor about halfway through the Dark Lord's instructions._

 _When he took a step back to separate himself from the situation, Nagini hissed threateningly._

Severus didn't know how long he had been held under the torture curse before Black had even begun to beg. However, once the man started, he didn't stop and only got more desperate. At that point Snape's throat was raw from screaming.

The Potions Master was torn from his memories of just a couple hours ago when Sirius Black came to help him up from his bed. The Dark Lord had ordered them take their meals together for the rest of the day, knowing that Severus would need assistance. Severus hated that he needed to lean on Sirius Black for help (which was the point) but he also knew that the situation was supposed to get the two of them to move past their anger for each other.

Sirius was quiet as he helped Severus walk the short distance between the bed and the small table the house elves had set up with covered trays of food. Snape couldn't contain his groans and hisses of pain. When they got seated at the table (a trying process I must say) the tray covers disappeared, revealing soup. Both men sighed knowing what they meant given Snape's extremely shaky hands. They shared a put upon look before Sirius silently moved his chair over next to Snape's. With a grimace Sirius took hold of Snape's spoon and so began…lunch.

* * *

Harry wasn't too surprised when his godfather and Severus weren't at lunch, however, he really got concerned when they weren't at dinner either. Halfway through the final meal of the day Harry tapped into his connection with the Dark Lord.

 _"You…you didn't kill them did you?"_ Tom didn't even bother gracing the question with an eye roll.

 _"No, I thought of something much worse for them."_ After a worrying pause he said, _"They have to help each other."_ Harry blinked as he took in Tom's words. That was their…? Then again, the more he thought about it the more he realized that really would be a punishment for the two men.

 _"Until I deem them suitably chastised you will not be having Potions or Dueling lessons,"_ the Dark Lord informed him. Harry hmmm'd under his breath in answer. His lessons weren't the high on the list of his priorities at that moment. Nagini slithered between his ankles and laid on his feet with a comforting pressure.

 _"I want to talk to you after dinner."_ Harry didn't bother listening to the Dark Lord's response. He could feel the man's surprise and agreement which made a part of him shudder now that he knew why he felt those things. Harry turned back to his food though he couldn't seem to find his appetite. A few seconds later he felt a finger poke his side and jumped at the ticklish sensation.

His head whipped to the side to see Hermione smiling at him and Harry rolled his eyes. He waved his fork at her threateningly and she giggled. Remus watched the exchange and relaxed a little. The werewolf was happy that Harry had such great friends in his corner. In fact the short exchange between Harry and Hermione seemed to be enough to spur the boy into eating again.

The atmosphere at the table was awkward. Draco and the Lestrange brothers were unaware of what had occurred after they left the room though they knew _something_ happened. They were also curious to know where the Potion's Master and animagus were though they didn't dare ask. The two older wizards were especially concerned as they could sense a glamour around their Little Lion. They knew they would have to ask soon.

Finally the meal ended and Harry waved his friends and mentor…father figure?…off. They reluctantly left him and he was eventually left alone with the Dark Lord. The two sat in silence, Nagini still offering Harry comfort, and Harry could tell Voldemort was waiting for him to start.

"I don't know what to think about you anymore," he finally admitted. Tom only raised a brow. "I can't trust Dumbledore and you killed my parents. Dumbledore sold me and you bought me. Dumbledore probably wants me dead. You used some of the darkest magic known to man to create vile things…one of which is me." Harry stopped talking for a moment. "I…can you take it out," he asked quietly. Tom's face fell, showing the first emotion other than anger since that morning.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea. Everything I read about Horcruxes spoke of an inanimate vessel. It was only in the height of my madness after my return that I intentionally created Nagini. I know how to remove my soul shard from those objects but living things…I can't know that I won't hurt you or worse by enacting the ritual. I cannot express how-"

"Yes, how sorry you are, I get it. That still doesn't help me," Harry interrupted angrily. "I want to be involved in the rest of this Horcrux stuff. I don't care what you say about not wanting children involved. I'm already involved." When Tom opened his mouth to respond Harry spoke quickly over whatever he would have said. "And I want Ron and Hermione to be allowed to help too. Hermione's the smartest person I know and Ron's great at strategy and stuff. Besides, I need people I really trust to help."

Tom waited a few moments and raised a brow when he made to speak again, waiting for Harry to speak over him once more. When it became clear that Harry was actually going to let him say his piece, the Dark Lord spoke.

"Alright."

* * *

 **So what do you think of my punishment? I figured Severus and Sirius needed to pay and to learn, for Harry's sake. They can't keep fighting. Keep in mind that I do NOT plan to make them get together romantically. If they can get along civilly it will be a miracle.**

 **Don't forget to review and answer the question I posed in the top author's notes!**


	27. Chapter 27

Fickle Fate:Chapter 27

 **I am exhausted and busy and just totally brain dead and ready for graduation. I somehow managed to crank out this chapter. Hopefully it will explain some things about James (You guys do NOT like him XD). I was very glad to hear you all liked the punishment I set up for Severus and Sirius however. :)**

 **As for the relationship: review wise I got just over 50% FOR a relationship for Harry and the rest against. Within the FOR camp the relationships suggested varied greatly. The one with the highest votes (a whopping 2 points) was Harry/Draco. I'll be honest with the way this story is going I'm thinking a relationship is going to have to go on the back burner for now. Harry has enough to deal with. Maybe if a scene calls to me I'll start the inklings of something, but if there is any romantic relationship for Harry it will definitely NOT be the focal point of the story.**

 *****Warnings: Angst. ITALICS ARE JOURNAL ENTRIES!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **James**

Remus dragged his hands through his hair again, making it stand on end. He was sitting on the bed in his room and staring down at the journal in his lap. It was the journal he had found in James's trunk and taken with him at the last minute. The previous evening he hadn't been able to sleep and had started reading it.

Its contents…well it shattered every notion he had had about Harry and Severus and James and Dumbledore and Lily. He hadn't been able to read the whole thing at the time, only a couple entries, because of how shocking it was. In fact, though he ran the spells himself, he wanted an outside opinion on the matter.

Earlier that day he had asked Lucius to test the journal's authenticity. He had to know if James had actually written what was inside. Unfortunately…or fortunately…Lucius confirmed that James was the sole author of the journal. Apparently, his friend had also layered protection spell after protection spell over the book to ensure only the author could read its contents, the author and whoever could be trusted after his death. The only reason Remus could read it was because James trusted him completely, not just with the information contained within, but with Harry.

 _Harry_. Remus's wolf still considered him his cub and he still cared deeply for the boy, but to now _know_ absolutely that Harry is not James's son…but then James didn't see it that way.

" _A part of me is ashamed at how elated I am when I look at this little boy in my arms. He's absolutely beautiful. I know he's not mine…but he is. I don't care that this is Severus Snape's first born. I don't care that he doesn't carry my blood. He's my Harry and I will love him as my son every day of my life and after,"_ read an entry dated the day of Harry's birth.

Remus, like Sirius, had thought that the Dark Lord and his followers told Harry that Severus was his father just to get him closer to their side. He didn't actually believe that it was true. But then…there it was, glaring at him in his best friend's handwriting.

 _"I've decided to start writing everything in a journal because I know that if I told anyone what I've come to learn they would be killed, as I surely will be. I cannot burden anyone else with this knowledge but I need to make my thoughts plain. I…don't quite know where to start…perhaps simply:_

 _Dumbledore has fooled us all."_

That had been the first entry and it had startled Remus. He had never heard James so distraught. (The school boy in his chuckled thinking how funnily grown up his friend was writing, but he quickly squashed that juvenile part down). Perhaps that was part of why he wanted Lucius to run the tests on the book. He couldn't imagine his friend being so mature. Then again, the war made everyone grow up very fast. Remus turned back to the beginning and started reading the journal again.

 _"I had given up on my pursuit of Lily Evans when I saw the engagement ring on her finger. I may be a prick but I know when I don't have a chance anymore._ _It was a normal day when a knock sounded at my door. I thought it was Remus. Sirius would have just burst through the floo and started drinking my Fire Whiskey."_ Remus chuckled even as his heart ached.

 _"I must have stood there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot for too long because Lily scowled at me. Dumbledore just smiled that grandfatherly smile with a gleam in his eye and politely asked if they could come in. I realize now that gleam was satisfaction and pride. Satisfaction and pride that his pawns were falling into place."_ Remus clutched the book tightly, his thumb denting the page.

 _"Lily refuses to speak to me. I don't blame her. She still thinks Dumbledore lied about Severus leaving her for the Dark Lord. Again…I don't blame her."_ The werewolf agreed with James on that point. Everyone knew how close Severus and Lily were. If she had been pregnant with their son there was no way Snape would have just left her.

 _"Dumbledore told me that he trusted me to keep Lily safe. That there was a prophecy that her child would defeat the Dark Lord so she needed to go into hiding. He told me it would be easiest on everyone if we just let them assume that the child is mine. The Headmaster even encouraged me to make the child my heir…did he really think I wouldn't question him?"_ Remus felt rage lick up into his throat as he growled. James wasn't stupid for all that he gave that impression. It was probably what saved him…and got him killed.

 _"It was easy to go to the Ministry and check on the so-called prophecy. The minute I heard Trelawny's voice I knew it was fake. I've heard the woman spout real and fake prophecies before. To me the "great prophecy" sounded more like she'd inhaled too much of her incense again. I would bet my life that Dumbledore_ _encouraged_ _this prophecy."_ Of course James had investigated. He was an Auror after all. Remus didn't know when his friend had started to question the Headmaster but it had to have been much earlier than he thought. Granted, Remus never thought that James of all people would question the great Albus Dumbledore.

 _"I told Lily about the "prophecy" today. She burst into tears, then punched me in the chest and then fell into my arms crying. By the time she calmed down she told me that if Dumbledore would go so far as to fake a prophecy then he had likely done something terrible to her husband. I agreed with her. I think…I think we've come to an understanding now."_ The werewolf was terrified to know what the prophecy was. He was certain it had to do with the downfall of the Dark Lord. Focussing back on the journal, Remus looked at the dates on the entries. He was shocked to realize that it had taken Lily almost three months to finally start speaking to James.

 _"I wanted to take Lily and her baby out of the country, away from Voldemort and Dumbledore, but she didn't want to leave in case Severus came back to her. I tried to explain that her husband wouldn't know where to find her in any case, but she wouldn't back down. How could I have forgotten about her temper?"_ Remus snorted even as his eyes began to well with tears.

 _"Now that Lily is talking to me we get along rather well. It's more than likely a proximity thing: I am the only person she has contact with aside from a Dumbledore-approved Healer that stops by every other week to check on the baby's progress. She's been telling me all about Snape and her childhood and what she wants to name the baby. She says Harry if it's a boy and Geraldine if it's a girl. Is it wrong of me to hope it's a boy?"_ Remus could tell that James' feelings for Lily hadn't faded and that even at that point in time (which according to the date meant Lily was only four months along) he had already started seeing Lily's baby as his own.

 _"Lily wants me to be godfather! She said after everything I've done for them it was the least she could do. I was ecstatic…however, I know Dumbledore is going to insist on someone else: 'To keep up appearances, of course.'"_ Remus was shocked. Lily had asked James Potter to be godfather?

 _"It's a boy! The Healer finally told us today. I'm so happy and yet…I can't help but feel sad. For all that I hate the Git, this should be his moment. I don't know why he can't be here for Lily but at this point I can't imagine the separation is willing. Severus Snape doesn't know that he's going to have a son."_ Remus's eyesight grew blurry as he continued to read the entries. They showed James and Lily's progression into a strong friendship, how they bonded over their distrust of the Headmaster and love for Harry. The entries following Harry's birth even included some pictures: his first big smile, his first steps, his first taste of mashed peas. James even admitted how guilty he felt for keeping the truth from Remus and Sirius.

 _"Dumbledore has ordered us to set up wards and get a Secret Keeper. He says that Voldemort knows the prophecy and will now be coming after Harry. Lily and I know the prophecy is fake but I doubt Voldemort bothered the check the validity of it. I can't let anything happen to them."_

 _"Sirius convinced us to switch to Peter. Lily is not happy with the change, but I'm desperate for any ideas to keep them safe. I don't…I don't think we are going to be safe either way."_

 _"I'm putting spells on this journal so only those people who I trust and who truly care for Harry will be able to read it. I pray that the spells won't be needed but I have a sinking feeling that my time is coming quick. It's like a bitterness to the air. Lily feels it too. She's been clinging to Harry even more and calling out to Severus in her sleep. I just wish…"_

 _"It's Halloween. I…I know it's time. I just know it. I hope that whoever is reading this is safe and that Voldemort has already been defeated and Harry is okay. I hope he knows the truth. I might not be his true father but I love him like he is my own. I hope Harry gives Severus a chance to be a father. I hope Sirius isn't mad with grief. I hope Remus is finally letting himself be happy. I hope Dumbledore has met a bloody end. I hope my baby boy knows I love him."_

 _"HE'S HERE…."_ Remus howled in pain. He couldn't contain it. The ink of the very last entry trailed off violently on the page and Remus could see James turning at hearing the door blast open and running to at least stall the Dark Lord long enough for Lily to maybe escape.

* * *

Harry popped awake upon hearing a howl. It reverberated through the manor. It wasn't an angry howl or one that scared him. Instead, Harry knew that the person howling was in pain. Grabbing his wand, Harry slipped out of bed. He stepped into the hall and cast a Point Me spell to locate Remus's room. He was confused when he didn't come across anyone else in the hallway.

It didn't take him long to reach Remus's room. Harry didn't bother knocking in case the man was seriously hurt. He froze when he walked in and saw the werewolf crying into his knees and tugging at his hair. Harry had never seen a grownup cry before and didn't know what to do. The young man couldn't just stand there and watch his friend, his father figure, hurting, so he walked over.

Slowly Harry reached out and gently extricated Remus's hands from his hair. The werewolf jumped at the initial contact and looked up at him in surprise. Harry lowered Remus's hands and bit the inside of his cheek, unsure what to do next, unsure really, why he came in the first place.

"Are…are you okay, Sir?" Harry's eyes spotted an open journal on the bed next to Remus and figured the man must have read something that upset him. When Remus didn't answer right away Harry started to back off. "I…sorry. You probably want to be alone…or something. I'll go." He took a few steps towards the door before Remus called for him in a choked voice.

"Harry, wait." The young Gryffindor turned. Remus held a hand out to the boy. "I…can I hug you?" Harry had never been asked for a hug before and suddenly his eyes burned. He nodded, knowing anything he tried to say would come out garbled. Harry hurried back over to Remus and threw his arms around the werewolf's neck. The two clung tightly to each other.

Somehow they shifted so they were both curled up on the bed but still clinging to each other. Remus's wolf was still whimpering in emotional pain as he recalled hearing about his best friend's death and then reading it about it from James's perspective in the journal. The older wizard was unconsciously petting Harry's hair and the young man curled closer until his nose was touching Remus's neck.

"Harry," Remus finally rasped. "Can you do something for me?" The boy pulled back enough so he could look Remus in the eye.

"Of course." Remus gave him a tight, watery smile.

"Please don't forget James. I understand if you grow closer to Severus and start to think of him as your father, but…James loved you so much. I know you don't remember him, but he truly loved you and your mother and saw you as his son." Harry didn't respond right away, his mind bringing up flashes of memory, things the Dementors brought to the surface whenever near.

"I don't want to forget someone who died protecting me. I don't remember much but I do remember flashes…being happy. You don't think…I'd be betraying him if I…?" Harry couldn't bring himself to say it yet. There was still a long, _long_ way to go if he was to ever really consider Severus his father. Then again…before his fight with Sirius, things had been getting better between them.

"No, Harry. That wouldn't betray him. He knew that Severus was your real father. It was…another one of Dumbledore's manipulations. The Headmaster assumed he had James's unquestioning loyalty and put Lily with him for protection. James always knew you were Severus's son but he still cared about you, saw you as his own. He did feel guilty for getting all of those first moments with you that every father should have the joy of seeing, but he knew something was very wrong with the situation and decided to stay with you and your mother. He felt it was safer for all of you to continue pretending to be Dumbledore's golden boy than showing any disloyalty." Harry felt tears well up and sniffled. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of the journal out of the corner of his eye.

"Did…is that all in that journal?" Remus clenched his eyes shut and let out a slow breath to keep himself from crying out again. Finally, he had himself back under control.

"Yes. That…that is actually James's journal and he explained everything from the moment Dumbledore arrived with Lily. I found it in the same place we found your stuffed animal. You can…you can read it if you want." Harry turned away from the journal and buried his face into Remus's chest.

"Maybe…maybe later. Can I stay?" Remus ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Of course." Harry snuggled close and right before he fell asleep he had a strong desire for the stuffed animal Remus had mentioned. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he didn't notice Remus's astonishment when the stuffed black dog suddenly appeared in Harry's arms.

* * *

 **The journal entries clearly skipped a lot of time between them but I wasn't going to write a journal's worth of entries for this chapter. :) Hopefully this chapter will give you a more forgiving view of James. For those who might be suspicious anything between Harry and Remus is strictly platonic! Supposed to be father-figure relationship.**

 **I hope to get you guys the next chapter in 2 weeks, but I can't guarantee anything. The sh*t is about to hit the fan with all of my schooling so, I might have time to sleep for a couple hours but maybe not get any writing in. I'll do my best though!**

 **Please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

Fickle Fate:Chapter 28

 **Luckily I finished this chapter in a flurry of inspiration before my life imploded. Thankfully the next chapter is due when my spring break starts so I can hopefully burst through another chapter for you. That being said, please be understanding if my next chapter is not up quite on time. I'm barely keeping my head above water here.**

 **On a happier note, new chapter for you! Enjoy! :)**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Earn It**

It had been three days since the incident where Harry got clocked in the face and Severus and Sirius had been missing in action the entire time. Since the night Harry and Remus comforted each other they had grown closer, especially since Harry's go-to father figure and slowly-becoming-something potions professor were out of the picture. Harry still refused to read James's journal, however which was becoming a bit of a sticking point between Remus and Harry.

As he said he would, Draco did join the three Gryffindors for lessons. They had only been meeting with the Lestrange brothers and Lucius. Draco didn't come to the pureblood etiquette lessons but he came to the others. Surprisingly, in the new environment Hermione and Draco found a comfortable level of competition, one that wasn't filled with spite and venom. Ron was still hesitant around both Malfoy men but no one was at each other's throats like usual.

Harry was surprised to find that he was…happy. Or at least content, for the most part. It was certainly the most relaxed he had been in a while. He was civil with the Dark Lord though he wasn't as comfortable as he had been before he learned about the Horcrux ordeal. The young Gryffindor also noticed that Voldemort wasn't utilizing their connection as often, perhaps to give him some space. Whatever the reason Harry was grateful to be able to feel secure in his own head even for a little while. It gave him peace to think. Harry focussed instead on his friends and Remus. Hermione hadn't seen her parents all summer and Ron had more or less lost his own parents due to their actions. Harry at least knew what it was like not having any adult to lean on or look to for comfort so he tried to be for them, what they had always been for him: his rock. As the days dragged on he at least thought it was working.

Finally, it was the fourth day since Severus and Sirius's fight and a wrench was thrown into the mostly smooth routine they had all settled into: Severus and Sirius were present at breakfast. When Harry walked into the room he froze for a second. The two men looked up, met his eyes and then looked right back down at their plates. Harry both cynically was amused and concerned that the two were seated right next to each other, both seats at the other end of the table from where Harry normally sat.

Harry took his normal seat and started adding things to his plate, his appetite slowly diminishing as nerves started to fill his stomach. The young Gryffindor scowled at his plate, annoyed that he would feel nervous when they were the ones who had hurt him.

He glanced around the table and saw that the Lestrange brothers were clearly confused at the new seating arrangement and unhappy that they didn't know what was going on. Remus was seated next to Rodolphus and was able to drag his attention away from the two solemn men with a conversation about werewolf tendencies.

Slowly everyone else wandered in. Harry hadn't slept well so he was up earlier than his friends. Hermione dragged Ron in by the wrist, the red-head knuckling his eyes like a small child.

When Voldemort swept in and seated himself Harry caught his eye and then pointedly looked at Severus and Sirius.

 _"I told them before everyone came down that it is up to you whether you want them to be allowed to sit near you again. Their conduct has significantly improved with each other and I released them from their confinement."_ Once Voldemort started eating everyone dug in, some at a more subdued pace than others. Harry didn't know what to make of the situation and so settled for ignoring the two men at the other end of the table. He knew he wouldn't get away with avoidance forever.

That thought was solidified when Voldemort announced they'd be resuming their Potions lessons that day and begin dueling tomorrow. Harry winced at the announcement and kept his head down. When he finished his food he quickly excused himself from the table, ignoring everyone's worried looks.

Harry hurried as much as he could without full out running and soon found himself out on the grounds, sitting on the closest bench he could find. It wasn't as nice as the one at Malfoy Manor but it was outside and had a nice view of the gardens.

He couldn't say he was surprised when Rodolphus and Rabastan seated themselves on either side of him a few minutes later.

"Figured you'd be out here. You seem to really like being outside…especially when you're upset about something," Rodolphus commented quietly.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with why Snape and Black were missing for a few days, would it?" Rabastan gently nudged him with his elbow as he asked, but Harry just dropped his head down into his hands.

"I know you guys are upset that I haven't told you what happened, but…I figured they'd gotten in enough trouble as it was. I also…didn't want you guys to look at me different." Rodolphus sneaked an arm around Harry's shoulders and was cheering inside when the young Gryffindor only tensed for a moment before relaxing into the touch.

"The two idiots got into a row and hurt you didn't they?" Harry straightened immediately and his mouth fell open in shock. Rodolphus only gave him a sad smile. "It wasn't that hard to guess, Little Lion." After another moment of stunned silence Harry just sighed and deflated.

"We also saw that you were wearing a glamour. Your face shimmered when you moved sometimes," Rabastan blurted out. His brother scowled at him and whacked him on the back of the head. Harry laughed a little at the display which made them happy.

"I just…the Dursleys weren't…nice. But whenever I said anything I was just pat on the head and told I was going back anyway, that I should just accept it. With Sirius I never had to worry about that. Then Snape was…fine. I thought we were getting better. People I care about told me that I was allowed to be mad at my relatives, but at the time there wasn't really a point. Now, other people I care about hurt me and… _now_ I feel mad. I don't know if I should just forgive them or if I even can. Is that…is that bad," Harry asked even as his throat started to tighten with frustration and sadness. Rodolphus squeezed him a little tighter.

"You know how _great_ my brother and I are with emotions, Little Lion," Rodolphus started, sarcasm heavy in his voice. Harry let out a wet laugh. "But…I think there is nothing bad about being mad that someone hurt you, especially someone you trusted. Sometimes, that broken trust is what hurts worse."

"You can still care about someone and not feel like forgiving them, you know," Rabastan chimed in. "That's allowed." Harry's friends had been telling him something similar for the past few days, but for some reason hearing it from his "bodyguards" actually made him believe it a bit. He let himself lean into Rodolphus's side.

"Thanks," he whispered.

* * *

After Harry left an awkward silence fell over the room and people started to file out one by one. Severus and Sirius continued to stare at their plates and push around their food. Sirius jolted when Remus called his name, the werewolf's tone soft but serious.

"We need…I need to show you something." Sirius's mouth pulled his frown down even further but he nodded and followed his friend out of the room. Severus soon gave up on eating anymore, his mind on the memory of watching his son hurry from the room. With a sigh he stood and went to go prepare for the potions lesson. He would honestly be surprised if Harry showed up. Severus felt a pang in his heart at that. He had missed their quiet camaraderie, especially once he realized that Harry could do well in Potions with a little guidance and the correct instructions.

Just as he was starting to set out the cauldrons someone stepped into the lab.

"You and Black didn't kill each other. I'm impressed." Severus cringed internally at Lucius's cool tone. Glancing over, his friend's face didn't offer much in the way of sympathy…that is to say, none.

"We had something at stake and knew if we messed up again it would be the last time." Severus kept his back to Lucius, knowing it showed his weakness but he was too tired to do anything different.

"Harry is a lovely young man with an amazing capacity to forgive." Snape's eyebrows pulled together and he finally turned to face his friend.

"I am aware…" he trailed off, not sure where Lucius was going to go with his comment.

"That being said, get over yourself." Severus's mouth dropped open for a split second before he slammed it back shut. Before he could open it again to defend himself, Lucius continued. "Do not deny that you are wallowing in self-pity. If you truly want to get back Harry's trust then show him that you want to. Do not make him feel obligated to forgive you before he is ready. Be the damned adult in the relationship for once, an adult that understands he messed up and understands Harry's right to be angry. Do not force yourself on him and do not avoid him to 'give him time'." Lucius stepped forward then, his glare more intimidating that Severus would like to admit. "If I _ever_ see or hear anything about you hurting that boy again, I will end you." Severus swallowed hard and looking his friend straight in the eye said,

"As you should." Lucius continued to glare at him for a few more seconds before nodding, seemingly satisfied.

"Good. You are finally thinking like a father." Snape would never admit it but a tiny, infinitesimal part of his blackened heart skipped in joy at hearing such a pronouncement. Instead he only inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Now, what do you have planned for the children today?" The Potions Master felt like he was getting mental whiplash but recovered gracefully.

"Harry was improving rapidly across our sessions and was about ready to begin with full potions. Now that I'll have multiple students with varying skill levels I'm going to split them up. Ms. Granger and Draco I will have work together on the Eyesight Correcting Potion. They need to learn how to work with someone of equal skill as them rather than someone inferior. Mr. Weasley and Harry I want to work separately on the Forgetfullness Potion. They need to learn to depend on their own skills to succeed and I think it will boost Harry's confidence in potion making. There is no doubt in my mind he will brew the potion successfully." As Severus spoke he finished laying out all of the required ingredients.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then. They should be arriving shortly." Lucius turned to leave but paused at the door. "Severus, will you be able to handle the criticism of Harry's friends? They won't trust you with him either. You have to know they see each other as family." The Potions Master sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I have noticed it. How could I not? I can't promise that I won't get frustrated or raise my voice but…I will do all I can to not lose my temper. As you said they are family to Harry and if I really want to earn his trust back, which I do, then I need to earn back their's as well." Lucius accepted the explanation.

"So you know, your godson was not made aware of the situation, unless Harry told him. He's obviously aware of the tension between you all and your prominent absence these past few days. Harry asked us not to inform Draco or the Lestrange brothers what occurred. I suggest you figure out what to say to Draco should he approach you with questions," and with that Lucius finally exited. Snape was left alone with the potions ingredients and his own swirling thoughts.

Looking at the clock he realized he still had half an hour until the lesson was supposed to start. He really hoped he wouldn't have to track Harry down to get him to come. Snape was sure that wouldn't end well.

He decided to busy himself with a book while he waited. Severus found himself unable to focus on the words in front of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, trying to calm his thoughts. The Potions Master was surprised when the door to his lab opened; he knew half an hour couldn't have gone by already.

His chest clenched in anticipation when he saw Draco slip into the room with a determined expression on his face. Snape had a strange moment where he thought that Lucius had suddenly acquired a slight prophetic gift. He quickly struck that ridiculous idea from his mind.

Whatever he was expecting from his godson he was not expecting Draco to hug him. Snape gently laid his arms around the boy and returned the embrace.

"I know what you did," Draco muttered into Severus's chest and the Potions Master tensed. How did Draco- "It honestly wasn't that hard to figure out and then I heard Weasley and Granger talking about it." _Ah,_ Severus thought. He shouldn't have been surprised.

"If you are aware of my transgression then why are you hugging me? I would think you would be mad at me as well." Draco pulled back and finally let go of his godfather.

"I'm not mad. Well, I'm not mad _now_. But then I saw how upset you were at breakfast this morning and I realized that it's…it wasn't the same thing as…what happened with Aunt Bella and Mother. You were sorry for what you did and accepted your punishment and didn't push Harry to forgive you the first chance you got. It…you're actually sorry and that's what makes it different." Severus's throat tightened and he pulled Draco into another hug.

"Thank you," he whispered. They stayed like that for another few minutes before parting. The lesson would start soon and Severus was feeling encouraged. He would earn back his son's trust and work for his forgiveness. It would take time, but it would definitely be worth it.

* * *

 **Of course...Draco might be a little biased when it comes to forgiving Severus. On another note...**

 **They have been freed! Now we'll see if they really learned from their mistakes. I'm also hoping to pick up the action soon. If I don't this story could go on forever! And we wouldn't want that...would we?**

 **Please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

Fickle Fate:Chapter 29

 **Hello All! I'm so sorry that this chapter is a day late, but things have been ridiculously busy. After 2 weeks where I could barely get time to write even a few paragraphs of the new chapter, my drive home for spring break took 8 hours instead of 4 because of the weather! Then I was just plain exhausted and only just finished this chapter minutes before I uploaded it today. Any way, I hope you enjoy it and can forgive me for being a day late.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **An Apology**

Harry left the potions lab with his head reeling. Severus had simply…taught, calmly at that. Harry hadn't been too happy about being made to work on his own while Hermione got to work with Draco, but by the end of the lesson he found he had made a successful potion all by himself. Severus had even complimented him on it. It was a nice feeling. It was also confusing, since Harry was still mad at Severus.

The young Gryffindor also noticed that Draco kept shooting looks over at him whenever Severus came over to check on him. Harry would be stupid to think that Draco didn't at least suspect what had happened, especially after his talk with the Lestrange brothers. Harry rubbed his temples as a headache threatened to overwhelm him.

"Harry, are you alright?" The young Gryffindor flinched at Hermione's question, her voice seeming too loud and close.

"Headache," he quietly muttered and then wandered off to find a quiet place to rest before their next lesson with Lucius. He wasn't looking for one room in particular and ended up stumbling upon one already occupied. "Sorry," he said without really processing things.

"Harry!" The young man froze as he recognized his godfather's voice. Sirius seemed to realize his loud voice caused Harry pain when he saw the tightness around Harry's eyes. "Sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to cause you pain. I…I can leave…if you want to rest in here…" Sirius kept his voice low and Harry appreciated it even as he tried to analyze the unusual uncertainty in his godfather's tone. "Or, I mean, I have a potion for headaches if you want it. It's…it's silly but ever since you came to Grimmauld and I ran out of potion for you I've gotten paranoid and begged Snape to let me have some. I just carry it around with me along with some other basic first aid potions…" Sirius trailed off again. The tension in the room was more awkward than anything.

"You…You asked Professor Snape for potions to carry around…for me?" Sirius's cheeks pinked at Harry's quiet, astonished voice. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Y-yeah. He was more than willing to give me some potions when he realized I wasn't asking for prank material or something. He's not such a bad guy." Harry blinked at his godfather before rasping,

"I think I'd like that headache potion, if that's alright." Sirius's mouth dropped open in shock for a second before he began frantically rifling through his pockets to find the right vial. As he handed it over, being careful not to touch Harry, he said, "James used to carry around potions like this for Lily. She got migraines a lot. I used to think he was a bit mental but…I guess I see the point now." He watched Harry grimace as he swallowed the potion down, but then the tension in Harry's temples unwound and he relaxed significantly.

They were left with awkward silence once more before Harry just blurted out,

"Mum used to get migraines?" Sirius clearly wasn't expecting the question but he jumped at the chance to keep talking to Harry.

"Oh yeah. In school she'd get them periodically. When she was pregnant with you, it was pretty bad some months. It took a while before she accepted the potions from James, and even then she only took them because she brewed them herself so she knew they wouldn't hurt you." Harry let the information sink in, then Sirius interrupted his thoughts. "Harry…can I…can I apologize?" The young Gryffindor grimaced at how painfully awkward their whole interaction was. _Merlin,_ he wanted their old comfort back. The problem was he didn't know if it would be too soon to forgive his godfather or if he was fully ready to forgive. He finally came to a conclusion as Sirius sat on the couch, patiently waiting.

"You can apologize. I'll accept an apology but I'm still not completely ready to forgive you yet. I…I want to see that you've changed. I want to spend time with you again. I promise I won't leave you hanging forever. I'm just…I want to be allowed to forgive you on my own time." Harry felt proud of the mature words that came from his mouth and from the slight smile Sirius gave him it was clear his godfather was too.

"Thank you so much, Harry. I absolutely accept those terms. I want to earn your forgiveness and your trust back. Please tell me if you ever feel that I am pressuring you at all." Harry's throat tightened with emotion so he just nodded. Then Sirius came over and took Harry's hands in his own and looked Harry straight in the eye. "I am so, unbelievably sorry for hurting you, Harry. I am sorry for fighting with Severus and ignoring your feelings. I am sorry for hitting you. I cannot promise that I will never hurt you again, Harry. I'm a stupid man who is bad with emotions. However, I will promise you that I will never raise a hand to you in anger and I will never intentionally cause you any harm. I love you like a son, Harry, but I have failed to uphold my duties as godfather to protect you, even from myself. I hope that when you are ready you will find it in your heart to forgive me, but I don't want you to forgive me a moment sooner."

Harry's face scrunched up as he tried not to cry. A voice in his head was yelling at him for being so ridiculously emotional but no one had ever…ever so sincerely apologized for hurting him so badly. Sure his friends had apologized for some of the stupid stuff they did but Harry had never been so upset or betrayed or hurt by them. Even fourth year with Ron didn't come close to what had happened with Sirius and Snape.

The young man flung himself into Sirius's arms and buried his face in his godfather's neck as he less-than-successfully held back his tears.

Sirius didn't shush him or tell to calm down. He just held Harry and rubbed a hand up and down the boy's back. When Harry had calmed down enough to get his voice back he whispered,

"Thank you." Harry was a little confused when Sirius sighed and pulled back.

"Don't thank someone for apologizing for something they've done wrong, Harry. An apology is not a gift given but an obligation to be met without the anticipation of a reward." Harry's face scrunched up again and Sirius asked him what was wrong.

"Nothing" he said roughly. "You just sound different. More…grown up, I guess?" Harry was worried for a moment that his godfather would take offense but instead the man barked out a laugh.

"That's something I never thought I'd be called." Then his smile turned bitter. "I used to pride myself on not acting like any of the terrible grown ups I knew as a child. That just meant I was acting like the terrible children I knew and was for far too long." Sirius guided Harry over to the couch and Harry settled into Sirius's side glad to have a sense of comfort back with his godfather.

"Did you and Professor Snape really…talk or forgive each other?" Sirius didn't answer right away and after a few long moments of silence Harry craned his neck to look up at his godfather's face.

"We talked…I don't know if Severus actually forgave me but I did apologize for the grief I gave him and the continued jabs into adulthood. He apologized for the constant jabs at me and James and for holding a grudge. I don't know about forgiveness but we…came to an understanding. We both realized that you are more important to both of us than holding on to schoolyard anger and rivalries. We were in close quarters for a few days. It was either talk or stare at a wall." Harry listened intently to his godfather talk and he could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I will admit, though you already know, I didn't want to believe that he was your father. I didn't want to believe that James or Lily had lied to me or that a person I couldn't stand had a hand in making someone I love." Sirius chuckled lightly as Harry ducked his head down with a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "But after talking to him for a long while, calling a truce, and Remus forcing me to read James's journal, it was both impossible to ignore and easier to accept."

Sirius put a finger under Harry's chin and lifted Harry's head so the boy met his eyes.

"James wanted you to know your biological father, Harry. He knew that you weren't his, but he still loved you like you were. Harry…you have always been loved. I'm not a Legilimens like Snape is but I know that he really cares about you. He was almost more ashamed than I was over what happened and I was the one that actually…hurt you. I think he's finally ready to start acting like a father." Sirius gave Harry a very serious look. "I'm _not_ saying that you should accept that or run full steam ahead into a father-son relationship with the Dungeon Bat. However, should you decide to allow him the chance, know that I will still love you. Remus will still love you…and James will still love you." Harry's eyes started watering again and he wiped at them aggressively.

Sirius's arms tightened around Harry and the young Gryffindor was glad for the comfort. They just sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before a clock chimed. Harry sighed and sat up.

"I've got a lesson with Mr. Malfoy soon." Sirius gave him a small smile, sad to see him go.

"Well, then you'd better get going. I'd hate for you to be late and then have Lucius hunt me down for it." Harry chuckled wetly and then stood. He didn't know what else to say so he awkwardly turned away and walked towards the door. Harry was about to step out of the room when Sirius called out to him.

"Harry, I love you." The young Gryffindor froze and felt his throat close up. In a moment of panic he looked back at his godfather, croaked "Love you too" and then bolted. He didn't hear Sirius chuckling behind him in his haste to escape.

* * *

Snape was cleaning up his lab from his personal work when Lucius came in through the door. A part of him was worried that his friend had come to berate him again, though he refused to show it. Lucius seemed more calm this time, though, so Snape felt he was safe.

"Harry was a little distracted in our lesson today. He did well but he was obviously not as attentive as usual. Though, I suppose I can't really say for certain. Ms. Granger was such an eager student that she kept me fairly distracted." Severus huffed upon hearing about his friend's experience teaching Hermione Granger though he was a little concerned about his son.

"He was perfectly fine in my class. He brewed his potion perfectly as I knew he would. Perhaps you just give yourself too much credit in the teaching department, Lucius. You might not be as engaging as you think." Lucius scowled at the Potion's Master while Severus smirked.

"I _know_ why he was distracted, Severus. I heard him talking to his friends about it." Snape raised a brow as he put away the last of the ingredients.

"You heard or you eavesdropped on a bunch of children to sate your curiosity?" Lucius scoffed and rolled his eyes. Severus just barely held himself back from doing the same. His friend could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"Harry had a chat with his godfather before our lesson. Apparently he let the mutt apologize but he decided he still needed time to forgive the man. Ms. Granger was proud of him and Mr. Weasley grumbled about how he should have made his godfather sweat a little longer." Snape had almost lost his breath as he heard Harry spoke with Black. He feared that Harry would forgive Sirius immediately and push him further and further away. As such, Severus was happy to hear that Harry was just talking to the other man and hadn't forgiven him yet.

"I also saw Black slip into our Lord's office as I was leaving to come here. The Weasley Twins exited as he entered; they looked suspiciously excited but also unsure. Lupin has also been spending a significant amount of time with the Lestranges today." Severus did roll his eyes at his friend then. Lucius tried to sound like a man with valuable information but it came across more as schoolgirl gossip.

Snape tried to rack his brain for a reason the Dark Lord would require Sirius Black but he couldn't think of anything. But then…

"Lucius, Black had a younger brother in the Death Eaters, did he not? Whatever happened to him?" Lucius frowned and his eyebrows pulled together as he tried to recall any pertinent information.

"His name was Regulus. I know he and Sirius didn't really speak. Regulus was the epitome of his family's values while Sirius was the antithesis. Though, from what I remember Regulus was never cruel like his family. I'd almost say he was too kind to be a Death Eater given what the Dark Side stood for at the time." Lucius paced a little and slowly turned his cane in his hands. "Our Lord…requested something of his once. It was an odd request. It…he asked for Regulus's house elf! That's it. He didn't explain why and the boy was reluctant but did as bid. Not long after, Regulus disappeared."

"Do you think whatever the Dark Lord wanted with the house elf…it had to do with his…his Horcruxes?" Severus had a hard time getting the vile word out. Just thinking about it made him want to sick up. If he thought about the fact that his son was…Snape closed his eyes to try and calm his stomach.

"That…well, I would be willing to believe almost anything these days. Perhaps that is why Our Lord wishes to speak with Black. Maybe he thinks Sirius knows where another one is because his brother was involved in its creation or concealment?" The two wizards stood in silence contemplating. Anything they came up with wasn't pleasant.

* * *

 **The ending might be a bit abrupt but I honestly was falling asleep writing it and couldn't think of a better way to wrap it up. Hopefully the week of break will allow me to rest and clear my head a bit to get out a better chapter for you on time in 2 weeks.**

 **Please review!**


	30. Chapter 30

Fickle Fate:Chapter 30

 **I was going to update this earlier but the darn website was down! At least it's working now. I want to warn you all that the next time for me to update I will be coming back from a conference a few states away. I will try to update on time, but please be understanding if I don't get to it until the next day. Thanks and enjoy! :)**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **R.A.B.**

Sirius was pacing furiously, so furiously in fact that Voldemort had called for the werewolf to try and calm the ex-"convict". Remus had entered the room warily but was quick to try and figure out what was going on.

"Siri, Siri, what is it? Calm down, my friend." Remus had learned over the past year that Azkaban had taken a significant toll on his best friend. Sirius could go days without problem but then something would set him off and he'd get more or less hysterical. Other times the man would be scatter brained then minutes later absolutely fixated on something. While he was fine most days, sometimes…

"He- He- Regulus died because…I hated him for being so perfect and mother never hated him but he…he did _something…_ " Remus looked over at the Dark Lord and was surprised to see the man looking absolutely exhausted. Tom Riddle massaged his temple and sighed.

"Mopsy!" When the house elf popped into the room, she bowed. "Go to Severus and ask him for a Calming Draught. Quickly." The house elf popped away without a word and Remus tried to encourage his friend to sit on the couch.

"Siri, breathe. What did Regulus do? What is it?" Sirius shook his head and looked around frantically as if he was trying to find something.

"No, no, no. Why is Harry here? He shouldn't be here. He'll hurt him like Reggie…Regulus wasn't supposed to…he did something…it's _his_ fault!" Remus grabbed ahold of Sirius's flailing arms so his friend wouldn't hit the Dark Lord or himself. His grip also had the added benefit of preventing Sirius from reaching for his wand.

"What did you tell him," Remus demanded, but before Voldemort could say anything Severus and Lucius arrived. Severus, with Remus's help, got Sirius to take the Calming Draught. Unfortunately, Sirius was so worked up that the Calming Draught more or less knocked him out. As Severus explained to an angry werewolf, the more distraught the patient the stronger the draught's effects.

"My Lord, is all well?" Tom sighed at Lucius's question and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Not necessarily, Lucius. I went to reunite myself with another of my Horcruxes right after breakfast but found this in its place." Voldemort held out a locket identical to the one he had turned into a Horcrux. Lucius frowned and took the proffered object. He opened it and read the note inside. After a few moments…

"R.A.B.? Regulus Arcturus Black?" As he finished his query, Lucius held the locket and note out for either Severus or Remus to take ahold of.

"Yes…It seems he died trying to destroy my locket Horcrux. I do not know if he succeeded however. I wished to speak with Sirius on the matter and find out if he knew anything about it or if he had any idea where Regulus might have hidden the Horcrux if he had failed." Remus sighed and ran his fingers through Sirius's hair in comfort.

"Sirius officially stopped talking to his brother after he joined you. Before that they still exchanged a letter now and then. He still loved Regulus but he felt betrayed after he became a Death Eater. I take it he didn't tell you anything useful?" Voldemort shook his head.

"Once I informed him of what I had discovered he…had an episode." Severus frowned and shot the werewolf a severe look.

"How often does Black have these…episodes?" He and Black may have called a truce but Severus didn't want the man near his son if he was unstable. Remus growled at Snape as if he sensed what he was thinking.

"Not often enough to be a concern. He can have bad days but most of the time his days are good. I consider that a miracle given he spent 12 years in Azkaban." When the two men started glaring at each other Lucius cleared his throat.

"My ex-brother-in-law Ted Tonks is a Mind Healer. I could reach out to him and see if he would be willing to offer Lord Black his assistance." Remus finally dragged his eyes away from Severus and slowly nodded at Lord Malfoy.

"That would be a great help. I don't think Sirius will appreciate it at first but…he should come around eventually." The Dark Lord nodded.

"Now that that is settled, we should return to the subject at hand. Was Regulus close to anyone? Was there anyone who would know about the last days of his life?" Severus, Lucius and Remus all had matching expressions of complete lack of knowledge. They were all startled when Sirius suddenly mumbled,

"Kreacher…" Remus brightened immediately.

"Of course! That evil, old elf loved Master Regulus!" Remus automatically started calling out for Kreacher, but the house elf did not answer. The werewolf growled and rolled his eyes. "The damn creature won't come because I'm a werewolf on top of being a half-blood and friends with Sirius. Could one of you three try? It's not like the elf would answer to Sirius, even if he was awake." One by one the other three wizards tried but still the elf would not appear.

"Kreacher wouldn't answer to Harry would he," Severus queried, unsure of what else to do. Remus sighed and shrugged.

"I doubt it but it's worth a shot." Remus slipped out from under Sirius and laid his friend out flat on the couch, before following the other three men out of the room. The four of them walked along at a brisk pace until they found Harry lounging with Hermione, Ron and Draco. Immediately the four of them perked up.

"What did I do," Harry asked, worry on his face. Severus frowned.

"What do you mean?" Then he stopped, looked at how the four adult wizards had formed a rather intimidating posse and rolled his eyes. "None of you are in trouble. We were simply seeking out Harry in the hopes he would aid us in something." All of the young people relaxed and Harry cocked his head to the side.

"Uh, sure. What do you need me to do?" Harry didn't quite look Severus in the eye and instead bounced his focus back and forth between the four men.

"Harry, we were wondering if you could try calling for Sirius's house elf, Kreacher. He won't answer to any of the rest of us." The young man was surprised by the odd request.

"I don't think he'll answer. He didn't particularly like me, but I'll try." Harry called out for the house elf but, as expected, the creature still would not answer. As the adults grumbled angrily, Hermione frowned, cocked her head to the side and then blurted out:

"Why doesn't Draco try?" The young witch blushed when all eyes turned to her and Draco squawked out a "What?!". "Well, while I don't approve of the enslavement of house elves I did read up on a lot of it. Kreacher is bound to the Black household and while Harry is Sirius's godson he's not a blood relative. Draco's mother was originally a Black, which makes Draco the closest Black relative here, minus Sirius of course. Kreacher would also probably be more inclined to answer Draco than Sirius anyway." Lucius, Tom and Remus shot Hermione impressed and approving looks which made her feel less embarrassed. Everyone else turned to Draco.

The young Slytherin was nervous to be involved in something so important, but then he straightened himself up. He was a Malfoy and they were meant to lead.

"What do you need me to do?" Draco was startled when Voldemort walked towards him. However the man did not draw his wand and only held out a locket.

"We need for you to call for the house elf and when he arrives, ask him if he has any knowledge of an item that looks exactly like this. His Master Regulus Black died while stealing it and I need to know what became of it." Draco's mouth hardened into a straight line and he nodded his understanding. Lucius looked on with pride.

Before he officially called for Kreacher, however, Draco cast an anxious glance to Harry of all people. Surprisingly the other boy gave him an encouraging smile. Draco let out a deep breath and called for the house elf.

The next moment a pop echoed in the near silent room and an old, scowling house elf stood before Draco. Kreacher bowed.

"What can Kreacher be doing for the Master Draco?" Draco licked his lips and held up the locket for Kreacher to see.

"Kreacher, do you recognize this?" The house elf's eyes widened and he reached out for the locket. Draco pulled it away before the elf could touch it though. "Kreacher," he said warningly. Hermione glared at Draco but Ron rolled his eyes and patted her shoulder in comfort primarily so she wouldn't interrupt.

"It's Master Regulus's locket. But…" Kreacher's forehead wrinkled as he looked at the locket in confusion. "Kreacher has Master Regulus's locket back in Kreacher's home. Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to destroy it but Kreacher could not. Kreacher tried and tried, but Kreacher failed. Kreacher misses Master Regulus very much, but Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to leave him in filthy stinking cave." It was heart breaking to see the normally scowling house elf near to tears and beating his head.

"Kreacher, stop it." Immediately the house elf stopped punishing himself. "I need you to bring me Master Regulus's locket. This is only a copy of it." Surprisingly, Kreacher did _not_ obey right away as before. Instead he hesitated. Harry narrowed his eyes at the house elf and before Draco could try ordering Kreacher again, Harry spoke up.

"Kreacher, I'm sure Master Draco will let you have the copy of Master Regulus's locket if you bring him the one you have. If you bring him the locket you have then we can help you fulfill your master's last order." Draco cast his eyes to the Dark Lord to see if the man was agreeable to the plan Harry laid out. When the man gave him a subtle nod, Draco echoed Harry's suggestion.

"Yes, Kreacher. I will give you this locket if you bring me the one Master Regulus gave you." Kreacher was much more amenable to that and bowed before disappearing without even one nasty word to Hermione, Ron or Harry.

"That was rather nice of you, Mate," Ron muttered to Harry. Harry only shrugged.

"He's a sad old elf who loved Regulus. The locket is probably the only thing he has of the man. We can't just take it away from him." Ron could see that his best friend wasn't just talking about Kreacher when he spoke and shot him a sad smile. The next moment Kreacher arrived with the locket dangling from his hand.

Draco exchanged lockets with the house elf. When the boy didn't say anything else, Harry rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Kreacher." The house elf tore his eyes away from where he was gently petting the new locket and narrowed his eyes at Harry. After a moment though, the old elf inclined his head in a parody of a bow and then popped away back to Grimmauld Place. Little did the students know but the adults in the room were holding their breath as they watched Draco touch and then hold the original locket.

The Dark Lord relaxed when he realized he didn't feel any sort of pull to the object. Just to be sure though he took it from Draco's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Draco inclined his head in acknowledgement. Voldemort ran his wand over the locket and sighed. "This is no longer a Horcrux. When the correct ritual was performed this must have been the object that I received a soul shard from." The other men sighed in relief and nodded. "Unfortunately, this means that the final inanimate Horcrux is in Hogwarts Castle."

"I'm guessing you can't just summon the thing to you," Ron asked. He knew the answer to the question but a small part of him hoped that saying it out loud would somehow make it untrue.

"That is correct, Mr. Weasley. Damn," Voldemort hissed. "This will make it harder and Dumbledore is already searching for it. I put the Weasley Twins on the task of finding a way into the castle, but that was just supposed to be an extra back up plan." Tom massaged his temples. "This just got a lot more complicated, especially now that Severus is no longer a teacher."

"I think it's pretty simple. You've got four Hogwarts students right here." Everyone looked to Harry, said students nodding in agreement and all of the adults shaking their heads in the negative.

"And put you right back into the old fool's hands? Absolutely not." Harry glared at the Dark Lord.

"Dumbledore can't deny us entry to the school since we aren't expelled and he's not stupid enough to attack us in front of everyone. I also know none of the other staff would let him. They may be on the side of the Light but none of them would allow him to attack us out in the open. He could make our lives hell but he won't blatantly hurt us. We would just have to stick together and have a plan on how to get the Horcrux to you once we find it." Tom snarled at the annoying Gryffindor.

"Need I remind you that you still have his magic in your mind? We don't know the triggers, so for all we know all Dumbledore would have to do is say a single word and you'd go back to being his perfect little lion," Voldemort growled. He knew that Harry's idea was the easiest route but he did not want to put them directly in harms way.

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times. He had honestly forgotten about that, but he knew the solution. The question was whether he would be willing to submit himself to it. His resolve to help with the horcrux hunt made up his mind for him. Harry closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before looking Severus right in the eye.

"Then fix it. Go into my head and take it out."

* * *

 **OOoooo, think Harry is jumping the gun? Is this a chance for Severus to prove himself? I might be taking some liberties with house elf freedom but oh well.**

 **(I keep meaning to progress the story further in time but each one just keeps being a direct continuation of the last one. XD)**

 **Please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

Fickle Fate: Chapter 31

 **I'm surprised I made it on time! I drove all the way back from SC today and finished the chapter when I finally made it back. So here it is, fresh off the press! :) Just know this chapter is a direct continuation of the last one!**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Lectures**

Only a few people in the room grasped how serious of a request Harry had made. Lucius was surprised but pleased. Voldemort was astounded, concerned and hopeful in his own way. Remus and Draco were both confused at everyone else's expressions and why the air seemed to be sucked out of the room. Hermione and Ron had more of a sense of how big of a step forward in trust Harry was taking by allowing Snape into his head. They remembered how upset and in pain Harry was after his Occlumency lessons the previous school year.

Severus though…Severus didn't know how to feel. He was shocked Harry would even suggest such a thing. He was ecstatic that Harry would trust him enough to do it. He was angry that Harry might only be suggesting it so he could take on a dangerous mission. He was also scared…scared that he would mess up again. Snape's punishment from the Dark Lord the first time the man learned of his Occlumency lessons made him realize just how much Severus had traumatized his son, how much he had hurt him. Then the whole fiasco with Black and…Severus was terrified of harming Harry again and losing any chance he had of having a relationship with him.

"I would like to speak with Harry alone please," Voldemort said in a quiet tone. The others in the room were not happy, Harry included, but they obeyed reluctantly. Remus cast a final concerned look at Harry before going to check on Sirius. Hermione surprised Harry with a hug before she grabbed Ron's wrist and dragged the reluctant red-head out of the room. They were followed by a much more sedate and regal Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Severus was the last to leave. In fact it almost looked like the Potions Master was going to argue with Voldemort against being sent away. It took a pointed glare from the Dark Lord to send the other man on his way. Finally, it was just Harry and Tom.

"Well this isn't…ominous or anything…" Harry said awkwardly. The Dark Lord continued to stare at him silently for a few seconds before sitting opposite the young Gryffindor.

"Harry, why are you doing this? Only a few weeks ago the mere mention of Severus looking through your mind garnered a very violent, and not unwarranted, reaction from you. Now you yourself are suggesting it." Tom cocked his head to the side as he looked at Harry, as if he were observing a strange bug. "Why are you throwing yourself at this situation so determinedly?" Harry rolled his eyes and tried to go for humor.

"You do know you're talking to a Gryffindor, right?" Tom was clearly not amused.

" _Harry,_ " he said in a dangerous tone. The young Gryffindor clenched his jaw in frustration before huffing his annoyance. For a moment Tom was struck but just how much Harry looked like a regular brooding teenager.

"I told you before that I wanted to be involved in searching for the Horcruxes and you said yes. You can't suddenly change your mind!" Tom internally winced as he realized that he was doing just what Harry accused him of. He admitted to himself that he had been an idiot for agreeing to continue Harry's involvement.

"Harry, what you are asking to do is very dangerous and what you are trying to put yourself through could be very traumatic." Harry actually growled at that.

"Newsflash, Tom, my entire life has been traumatic! It's just been one giant trauma after another! If I have to go through just a couple more to end the war well then fine. If you're so concerned about it being dangerous then we can just up my training. I'll do more dueling and defense and the Lestranges can teach me hand-to-hand like they've been dying to do. There's still time for me to prepare!" Harry's voice had gone from angry to pleading and Tom was trying hard not to be swayed. Damn his returned emotional state.

"We'll find another way, Harry. One that doesn't require-"

"This is the quickest and easiest way," Harry yelled, interrupting Tom. "It's the quickest way to get the bloody Horcrux and if Dumbledore tries anything it will make _him_ look like the bad guy. The quicker we get the Horcrux, the quicker we can end the war and the quicker…the quicker I can get to maybe having a normal life." Harry got quieter at the end of his little tirade and Tom felt a pang in his heart. During his many treks through Harry's mind, both when he was insane and not, he quickly that Harry longed to be _normal_ and to live a quiet life. Tom was convinced that at least part of Harry's longing came from years and years of being called a freak by his Muggle relatives.

Despite Harry's emotional plea Tom was still set against Harry and his friends returning to Hogwarts while Dumbledore was still Headmaster. The Dark Lord shook his head and Harry's mouth dropped open in shock.

"But you promised," he cried somehow sounding equally like a whining five year-old and a broken hearted teen. Tom opened his mouth to offer the young wizard comfort when his magic clanged like a gong in his chest. It was his turn for his mouth to fall open. His magic was warning him that he was on the verge of breaking a magical contract. But that didn't make any sense. He hadn't promised on his magic, unless-

Tom narrowed his eyes at Harry and saw the boy rubbing his chest with a confused look on his face.

" _Harry_ ," Tom said with a hard tone, "have you been practicing wandless, silent casting?" Harry's eyebrows pulled together in confusion at the sudden change in topic.

"Maybe…." he slowly admitted. It wasn't like there was much point in hiding it. Then Tom started cursing a blue streak. Harry could only sit there wide-eyed as the Dark Lord yelled. It took a few minutes for the man to calm down and another few before he spoke.

"When we spoke a few days ago about you being allowed to be involved in the search for my Horcruxes you must have drawn your magic into the conversation, thus turning what was a simple, verbal promise into a binding magical contract. Now I _cannot_ stop you from doing this." Harry smiled brightly but saw that the Dark Lord was definitely not happy about it and his smile dimmed somewhat.

"…Sorry?" Harry offered, unsure what else to say. Tom breathed out through his nose slowly.

"Though you did it unconsciously that was very dangerous. Playing around with wandless magic can be dangerous without an appropriate teacher." The Gryffindor could tell by Tom's tone that he was in big trouble. The Dark Lord's eyes flicked over to a nearby clock. "Luckily for you, it is time for dinner. We will discuss this _at length_ afterwards." With that the Dark Lord stood and slammed the door open as he left.

Harry gulped and then stood to slowly follow.

Harry hadn't had time to inform his friends of the situation before he was obliged to follow the Dark Lord to his doom. The Gryffindor knew it wouldn't really be his doom but the look in Voldemort's eyes was not one he wanted directed at him. It was scary and made him feel like a little kid about to be grounded. It wasn't a feeling he was used to.

By the time Voldemort was done lecturing him, Harry wanted to curl up into a ball and sink into the floor. He imagined this was exactly what a lecture from a "disappointed" parent sounded like. Ron and Hermione had described their experiences to him once and he knew he never wanted to experience it himself. Now he had and he was right: it was terrible. The strangest part was that at the end of it all was that Tom said he'd start tutoring him in wandless, silent magic. Harry was sure that after all of that Tom would ban him from continuing, especially when he found out that Harry started practicing because he'd been trying to escape when he first arrived. Apparently, for all that he was angry, Tom was also impressed because only really strong wizards could do such a thing. Needless to say when Harry was finally dismissed (to go to bed like an errant child!) he was dazed.

He was on his way up to his room when he ran into Severus. Harry didn't say anything and they stood there awkwardly for a minute or two. Finally, Snape cleared his throat.

"Is everything alright? What did the Dark Lord wish to discuss with you?" Harry bit the inside of his cheek and looked down at the ground.

"If I tell you, you're just gonna yell at me too," he muttered. Severus only just caught what he was saying.

"Oh? Well all the more reason for me to hear it then." Suddenly Harry found himself being ushered into one of the many sitting rooms of the Lestrange Manor. The young Gryffindor slumped in defeat even while his insides twisted in confusion. As soon as he sat down a wave of exhaustion hit him. He slumped down in his seat and rubbed his face vigorously. "Are you…well," Snape asked awkwardly. It seemed as soon as he had Harry where he wanted he lost whatever plan he had. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen the Potion's Master so unsure. Then again, perhaps it was the continued close-quarters interactions that taught him how to read the man better.

"Just…tired," Harry finally admitted. Severus was confused when Harry's face suddenly twisted up in confusion then turned into an unimpressed look. "If you're trying to get me to forgive you by acting all caring now, that'll just make it worse, you know." Snape internally winced. That hadn't been his intention but he could see how Harry could take it that way.

"That was not my intention, I assure you. I thought to give you time before apologizing to you for my part in harming you. I suppose I could just apologize now. Harry, I am deeply sorry that my actions have caused you harm. I also wish to _earn_ your trust back, so I did not force my presence on you once Black and I were released from our punishment. But I digress. I have been coming to care for you these past weeks and I truly care now. I'm not acting to obtain forgiveness from you." Harry just barely kept his mouth from dropping open as Severus rambled. It was so unlike the Potions Master that Harry had to fight tired down laugher at how ridiculous it seemed.

"I accept your apology," Harry finally managed to get out when it seemed that Severus was growing impatient. "Though I feel like I should have recorded that, because that's never gonna happen again," he blurted out. His hand came up to cover his mouth and his eyes got wide. He must really be tired if he let stuff like that slip out. Severus only raised a brow.

"Yes…well…" Severus cleared his throat and rolled his internal eyes at himself. He was turning into a damned Hufflepuff. "You were going to tell me about your discussion with the Dark Lord." Harry huffed and slumped in his seat.

"Not willingly," he muttered. Harry knew he was acting the part of sullen teen but he really was tired and did not feel up to getting yelled at again.

"Harry," the soft tone was what really got his attention and he looked up at the Potions Master. "I can't promise you I won't be upset, but I will promise not to yell at you. I'll also try to keep the lecturing to a minimum." The young Gryffindor bit the inside of his cheek, not used to such a situation as this. Finally, he decided that trust went both ways. Snape was going to try to earn his trust back but Snape was also trusting that Harry would give him a fair chance.

"I…I've been practicing wandless and wordless magic for a while." Harry watched the Potions Master closely for any signs the man would blow up on him. When he didn't even twitch Harry quickly continued. "It just started as a way to try and escape without my wand but not long after things just kind of went nuts…I've noticed a couple times that things happen when I'm really angry or upset or scared. Tom says he'll teach me how to control it. I…" Harry looked down at his hands as he brought his knees up to his chest. The guilt was building up in his chest again as Tom's disappointment rattled through his skull. The lecture had been twice as bad as it normally would have because Harry could also _feel_ Tom's emotions through their link.

"Apparently during one of our discussions I magically bound Tom into allowing me to help in the hunt for the Horcruxes however _I_ meant it." There Severus did twitch and Harry curled up tighter. "I didn't mean to! I swear! I didn't even know that I did it! I'm sorry. Please don't…please don't yell. I can't take any more yelling tonight…" Harry yanked on his bangs and his voice shook as he spoke the last sentence. He hated that he sounded like a scared little kid and hated even more that he _was_ one.

Severus didn't respond for a long time, but no matter how much Harry wanted to he didn't run from the room. He stayed in his seat. Finally,

"I won't yell at you. I promised I wouldn't. I…I am upset that you attempted to learn something so dangerous by yourself, though I understand why you thought you needed to. I am _not_ happy that you are now in a binding magical contract with the Dark Lord. As such…you will write me a two foot report after each of your lessons with the Dark Lord each with a lengthy section on why you shouldn't have done what you did and how you are going to avoid such situations in the future." Harry's mouth dropped open and he wanted to fight it. Then he saw how, yes, Snape was upset, but he was also scared _for_ Harry.

Then Severus stood and held out a hand for Harry to take.

"Come along. You look exhausted, and I'm not certain the Dark Lord ordered you to bed after your talk and I postponed you." After a few silent moments of shock, Harry slowly reached out and took Severus's hand.

* * *

 **Some trust is showing! Oh my! ;)**

 **(I keep meaning to progress the story further in time but each one just keeps being a direct continuation of the last one. XD)**

 **Please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

Fickle Fate: Chapter 32

 **Announcement!: The next regularly scheduled update day is right in the middle of my finals. Please understand that there is a good chance that I will be late in getting the next chapter to you all. I was surprised I found the time to get this one to you. I promise I'm not abandoning the story but I need to focus on my school work for these last couple of weeks of the semester.**

 **Anyway, enjoy this new chapter! Your lovely comments make me smile when I'm exhausted from neuroscience homework. :)**

 ***Warnings: Angst. Child abuse (in the past).**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **The Tear**

The next week for Harry was…odd. His lessons with Tom were exhausting and the reports he had to write for Severus were, though really annoying at first, making shame and guilt bubble up again and again as he realized how dangerous it was for him to practice such magic on his own.

It was strange for Harry to feel guilty over something he likely would have been praised for by Dumbledore. Had he been doing it on his own at school the Headmaster would have encouraged him to continue and praised him with that twinkle in his eye. Harry used to live for that recognition from the old man. The young man's hands clenched into fists as he thought about what a blind, pathetic child he had been, drinking in every scrap of affection he could from Albus Dumbledore.

"Mate, you're doing it again." Ron's words of warning brought Harry back to the present and he only just stopped his magic from shattering a nearby vase. Another surprise for Harry had been how upset Ron, Hermione _and_ Draco had been when he told them what he had done.

While Ron had previously told him that his magical outbursts were a sign that he was a powerful wizard, when the red head had learned that Harry had been practicing wandless, wordless magic he had been furious.

"Accidental outbursts are one thing, Mate, but trying to force that kind of magic is a good way to bloody get yourself killed! I can't believe how bloody stupid you are!" Harry had reeled back as if he had been punched. His friend had insulted him before and said mean things but _that_ hurt.

Draco's words had been just as scathing.

"And to think I had started to believe you might have more than a couple of brain cells in that thick skull of yours, Potter. Did you want to visit your Mum and Dad so badly that you tried to meet them early?" The blond's face had involuntarily grimaced as if he regretted the words the moment he said them but Harry had been staring at the ground at that point trying not to cry. At that time it had only been the day before that the Dark Lord and Severus had confronted him about the situation and he was still feeling raw.

Surprisingly Hermione had been the most understanding.

"I know you were desperate, Harry. I'm not going to scold you because I think you've heard quite enough and feel pretty miserable about it already." The second sentence was said with a pointed glare at both Ron and Draco. "I'm just glad that you didn't seriously hurt yourself before anyone found out and decided to help you." Harry had leaned his head onto Hermione's shoulder and his friend ran her fingers through his hair. It was times like that that Harry had embarrassing thoughts like: _Hermione will be a great Mum one day._

Back in the present Harry was quietly thanking Ron for warning him about his magic. Though his lessons with Tom were helping he still had a long way to go and strong emotion still evoked magical outbursts. He had finally started his dueling lessons with Severus as well, and those were actually…fun, especially with his friends being involved. Dueling helped him learn about his magical strength while his lessons with Tom were teaching him control and synchronicity with his magic. Despite their relationship slowly healing, Snape still hadn't gone through his head to clear out Dumbledore's influence which was making Harry more tense each day that passed. That day his friends noticed he was quieter than usual.

"Harry, are you okay," Hermione asked. Harry didn't look up immediately which got the others' attention. Draco even put down the book he was pretending to read. (Everyone was surprised at how well all of the teenagers were getting along though no one commented for fear it would break whatever spell they were under).

"I…I'm sorry," Harry suddenly blurted out. Ron and Hermione blinked at him while Draco raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific," the blond said. Harry grimaced and finally looked up at them.

"I…when I accidentally made that magical contract with Tom I included you two," he motioned to Ron and Hermione. "I insisted that you two be allowed to help me and now that means you _have_ to be involved in all this and I'm sorry." Hermione sighed softly and took Harry's hand.

"Harry…you know we would have helped you anyway, right? We wouldn't let you do any of this by yourself." Hermione gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, Mate. They'd have to drag us away kicking and screaming to stop us," Ron chimed in. Draco huffed and rolled his eyes.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you all were a bunch of Hufflepuffs." Harry smirked at the dramatic Slytherin.

"Oh don't feel so left out, Drake. We love you too!" Draco looked positively horrified at the words that came out of Harry's mouth. His expression sent all of the Gryffindors into a laughing fit.

 _"Harry, could you join me in my office, please?"_ Harry suddenly tensed. It had been a while since Tom had spoken to him directly through their link. The Gryffindor suspected that he had been blocking the Dark Lord from his end of the connection. It was hard to accept the use of such a mental link now that he knew the real reason behind it.

His friends noticed his sudden change in demeanor and he shot them an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Guys. Tom needs me." His friends were understandably not happy. Ever since Harry's extra lessons started up it seemed like they never got to see him. They joined him for regular lessons but that wasn't the same. As Harry left he heard Ron grumbling about how it was summer and 'why the bloody hell are we in school during summer?' Harry smiled and shook his head. It was comforting how some things never changed.

He was on his way to Tom's office when he ran into, almost literally, the Weasley Twins. They had gone out of their way to try and reconnect with Harry and it was…kind of working. It had been a bit overwhelming at first but they had luckily caught on and toned it down.

"Hey, Harry…"

"Off to see…"

"Ol' Snake face?" The younger Gryffindor huffed and rolled his eyes at the Twins even though he couldn't help but smile at their antics.

"Unless you two have gone blind, I think you'd be able to tell that he's got a nose now…and hair." Fred and George grinned broadly.

"Oh we know…"

"But it's so much fun…"

"To annoy him…"

"And it makes you smile…" The last bit was added by Fred and the brothers went quiet. Harry's expression softened a bit as he realized he was being harder on these two than he was Sirius and Severus.

"Thanks, Guys," he said quietly. "Hey, do you wanna maybe go flying this weekend with me, Ron and Draco? I feel like I haven't been outside in forever." Fred and George perked up immediately and agreed right away.

" _Harry…"_ The young man winced internally but luckily Tom didn't sound annoyed, only mildly amused.

"Sorry, Guys. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later." With that he left, feeling lighter than he had in a while. However, the closer he got to Tom's office the more worried he was.

He knocked when he got to the door and was quickly bid enter. Harry relaxed when Tom smiled at him and then raised a brow at seeing Snape there as well. The Potions Master inclined his head in greeting though he seemed oddly tense. Tom motioned for Harry to take a seat across from him and then put on a more serious expression.

"I'm sorry for going into your head, Harry, but that was also...somewhat of a test. I wanted to gauge how comfortable you were with someone in your head." Tom's eyes flickered to Severus. "I'm sure you can guess why I've called you here." It did click in Harry's head right then and he slowly nodded. "I'm not sure if it would help you but if you want you can have a few friends with you."

Harry's face screwed up in apprehension and…wariness. He didn't know how he felt about other people watching (not that they'd really be seeing much of anything). Looking over at Severus, Harry also considered how the Potions Master probably didn't want a bunch of people watching given how wary the older man was to do it. Snape had confided in Harry his concern over potentially harming their relationship. The man hadn't even used Legilimency and it seemed he knew what Harry was thinking.

"Do not concern yourself with my feelings on the matter, Harry. Do what will make you feel most comfortable." The corner of Harry's mouth quirked up in a small, appreciative smile which Snape surprisingly returned. After another few moments of deliberation Harry had come to his decision.

"Remus and Draco." The two adults were…surprised to say the least, though Tom didn't question it. Severus raised a brow in question and Harry bit the inside of his cheek and shrugged. "I…I don't need people who could get really emotional about the whole thing. I'd ask Sirius but…I don't think he's having a good day. Draco won't panic and argue like Hermione or Ron, and despite what you think Remus is very good at controlling his emotions. He's calm and I need that." What Harry didn't voice was that he was hoping by including Lupin in this he'd assuage some of his guilt at avoiding the werewolf. Remus had been on him about reading James's journal for a while now and Harry still wasn't ready.

No one questioned him further and Tom had the Lestranges' house elf fetch Draco and Remus. When the two showed up they were understandably confused.

"Hello, Harry. Is everything alright?" Harry felt a twinge of guilt in his chest as he realized he had barely even seen the man who was like an uncle to him in days. The young Gryffindor gave Remus a sad smile.

"Hello, Sir. Everything's fine. I uh…Professor Snape is going to go through my mind and try and find anything more about what Dumbledore did…Tom said I could have a couple people with me if I wanted to." Immediately Draco and Remus understood the implications of what Severus was going to do. Mind magic was very invasive and for a time people debated making it illegal. Both Remus and Draco were aware of Snape's ability for Legilimency though neither liked the thought of him having to use it on Harry. Their primary question, though neither of them voiced it, was why them?

Remus could smell guilt and some fear coming from his pup. The fear was understandable given what he was going to go through. The guilt probably came from his pup's deliberate avoidance of him which Remus didn't hold against the boy. He'd have to try and reassure Harry once they were done. What primarily concerned Remus was the guilt, fear and shame coming off of Severus. It could easily be that Severus felt guilty for having to put his son through Legilimency but Remus had suspicions that it went deeper than that. It was no secret the man didn't like Harry before a few weeks ago. Perhaps-

"I mean, you guys don't have to be here. It's not like you'd be doing anything other than watching Professor Snape stare into my eyes. Not very exciting," Harry babbled. Draco rolled his eyes.

"If you wanted us to be here there must be a reason, so we'll stay, thank you very much." Harry gives the blond a sheepish smile before finally turning his full attention to Snape.

"Ok…I'm ready." Severus nodded and sat up, before turning his chair so he and Harry were staring straight at each other.

"This will be more comfortable for you if you do not fight me. I will do what I can to only see what I am searching for, but I apologize now if I see some things you would rather I didn't." Harry's jaw clenched and he let out a deep breath before nodding his understanding. He looked Severus straight in the eye.

" _Legilimens."_

Severus slipped into Harry's mind like air. It was in that moment that Snape realized that Harry had truly been trying during their Occlumency lessons as it did not feel like shredding through paper. Instead he was able to carefully flow through Harry's mind as if he was welcome there. It was an unusual feeling. The Potions Master shook his head to focus himself on his task. Though he suspected what he was looking for was farther back in Harry's mind he used his magic to seek out traces of Dumbledore's stain.

Suddenly Severus heard a scream and whipped around to see a heartbreaking sight. Harry…his son, as a young boy, was being whipped by his uncle. It was gut churning seeing blood drip down Harry's back. Snape was frozen as he watched the abuse continue. It took him too long to pull away and turn back to his task. However, he soon realized that he had been brought to this memory for a reason. Dumbledore's magic was surrounding it. Severus looked closer and he saw what looked like a tear on the edge of the memory.

He reached forward and pulled it back carefully, not wanting to cause more damage to Harry's mind than the Headmaster had already done.

Severus couldn't believe what he saw. It was far worse than he had ever imagined.

* * *

 **So...this one is shorter and ends on a cliff hanger right before I'm heading into finals mode...I'm so sorry! But it was either cut it off here or keep going for another 3-4 pages and I didn't have the time or brain power to do so! :( I promise the next chapter will be angsty and awesome...whenever it gets to you. ;)**

 **Please review!**


	33. Chapter 33

Fickle Fate: Chapter 33

 **I'm back! So sorry this chapter was really late, but like I said, finals week and graduation is tomorrow making the past few days more than a little insane. I was required to figure out my life while my brain was leaking out of my ears. Fun times. Anyway, please heed the warnings for this chapter!**

 *****Warnings: Angst. Child abuse (not graphic per say but not non-graphic either...just be careful).**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **A Natural...**

 **Previously: "** Severus looked closer and he saw what looked like a tear on the edge of the memory. He reached forward and pulled it back carefully, not wanting to cause more damage to Harry's mind than the Headmaster had already done. Severus couldn't believe what he saw. It was far worse than he had ever imagined."

Memory

 _Harry was crying, sobbing really, as his uncle dragged him out of his cupboard by his hair. He was terrified. He had already been beaten once today for not cooking breakfast fast enough. Harry didn't know what he did this time since he had been in his cupboard all day after that morning. The seven year old couldn't calm down even as Uncle Vernon hollered at him to shut up._

 _His uncle finally let him go in the living room, causing Harry to fall to his knees in front of the couch. Harry's hands burned from where they harshly rubbed against the carpet. The young boy sniffed and knuckled his eyes before seeing that there was a pair of feet in front of him. Looking up, Harry saw an old man with a long white beard and an unimpressed expression on his face._

 _"Was that entirely necessary, Mr. Dursley?" The old man's cold tone made Harry shiver in fear._

 _"I won't touch that Freak any more than I have to. And I'm only tolerating you for the money, so make it quick!" Dumbledore sneered and then put on a fake, soft smile for Harry. He held out his hand to the boy._

 _"Come here, Child. Sit with me. I wish to speak with you." Harry had never had anyone offer to help him off the floor before. He'd never been allowed on the couch before either and didn't know if this was some sort of trick. After a moment the old man seemed to be getting a little impatient so Harry quickly grabbed his hand and carefully took a seat. He didn't want to get the furniture too dirty with his Freakishness. "There's a good boy. Now, Harry, I hear that you recently had a birthday. Seven years old, yes?"_

 _Harry glanced nervously at his uncle. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia never liked any mention of his birthday, insisting it made the Freak think he was special and better than their Dudley. However, his uncle was resolutely glaring away from them so he nodded nervously._

 _"Yes, Sir," he said quietly. Dumbledore smiled at him._

 _"Well, happy birthday then, young man. I was very excited to hear that you were turning seven. Do you know why?" Harry shook his head "no." Dumbledore held up a hand, palm up, and sparks flew out. Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Magic, my boy." Suddenly the sparks jumped from the old man's hand onto Harry burning and stinging him._

 _The little boy screamed in fright and tried to bat the sparks off._

 _"Calm down, lad. You have to let the magic do its job." Even as Dumbledore spoke he was reading the scans his magic was taking of the boy. In fact the reason the spell hurt was because his magic was reading the boy's_ soul _. It was telling him just what kind of man the boy would become. Albus had to physically force himself not to scowl at the results. They clearly showed a kind soul that would be incapable of killing. The boy was too soft and that just wouldn't do. The Headmaster molded his face into an expression of sorrow._

 _"Oh, my boy. I'm sorry." Harry wiped the tears from his cheeks and looked up at the old man warily. He wasn't shocked that he had been hurt; it was what he was used to after all. However, he was disappointed. For a brief few moments…he had thought…had hoped… But now the old man's sad face was confusing and worrying him._

 _"W-what?" Dumbledore sighed and shook his head._

 _"I'm afraid you need some help, my boy. You are sick." Harry's face showed his fright._

 _"Sick!? But…but I don't feel sick!" The last time he was sick Aunt Petunia made him swallow half a bottle of nasty purple liquid and Harry felt even worse than before. His aunt screeched at him, telling him not to die on her clean floors and shoved him into his cupboard. Harry fell asleep to weird dreams and felt so awful he honestly hadn't thought he'd wake up. Needless to say he never wanted to go through that again._

 _"Well that is because it is your soul that is sick, Harry. Your spirit. I could fix it for you, if you'd like." Harry was confused again; he didn't know what a soul was. But he didn't want to be sick anymore so he nodded his head vigorously. Harry didn't like the smile that crept onto the old man's face but he ignored it. "Excellent. Well then, I need you to look straight into my eyes, Harry, and don't fight me."_

 _Harry didn't understand. He didn't bother fighting anymore ever since that time-_

 _"Ahhhh!" Harry's hands flew up to his head as it felt like a knife was being driven through his skull. He couldn't see Dumbledore's fierce scowl as the old man came up against very strong,_ natural _shields._

 _But someone did see._ Severus _saw. The Potions Master watched as the Headmaster forced himself into young Harry's mind over and over again until he finally broke through and Harry was sobbing at the pain of the violations. If Severus hadn't wanted to kill the old man before, he most certainly did now. He couldn't help the small spark of pride in his chest that young Harry had been able to fend off a powerful wizard at the age of seven. A well of shame opened in his chest as well as he also realized that with so much damage done to his natural shields it would have been near impossible for Harry to fend off his attacks in their lessons. Snape tuned back into the memory when he heard Harry's sobs quieting._

 _"That's it, my boy, quiet now. All is well," Dumbledore's voice was soothing but with a smug edge. He had finally succeeded in breaking through the boy's mind and setting his spell in place. Harry stared at him with his eyes glazed over, the spell waiting for instructions. "You will feel a strong longing to become a Gryffindor, strong and brave. You will have absolute loyalty in me, Albus Dumbledore, as Headmaster of Hogwarts. You will despise Lord Voldemort and Severus Snape and all Slytherins. You will willingly fight for me and give your life for the greater good. Should you stray, my words 'I am proud of you, my boy,' will bring you back under my command…"_

 _Severus watched on as Dumbledore completed the spell and then slowly brought Harry back to himself. The little boy blinked and raised his hands to his head, rubbing his temples._

 _"Ummm…Sir? What happened?" Albus smiled kindly._

 _"I'm sorry, my boy, I should have warned you. The spell to make you feel better can also make you somewhat forgetful. Now, there's just one last thing for me to do." Dumbledore raised his wand and cast, "Obliviate." As Harry still sat there, eyes glazed over Dumbledore stood and left, not before paying Vernon a small lump of gold. The moment the Headmaster was out the door Vernon yanked Harry off of the couch by his hair._

 _Harry screamed as he was thrown against the wall next to the door of his cupboard._

 _"I'm sorry, Uncle. What did I do? I'm sorry, I won't do it again." Harry apologized profusely for whatever transgression he had committed. He trembled as Vernon undid his belt._

 _"Hands on the wall, Boy! This is for tainting my home with your freakishness! You worthless, ungrateful wretch! Shirt off!" Harry knew better than to argue but he still cried and shook as he took his shirt off. He didn't have to wait long for the first strike._

 _Severus couldn't bear to look any longer and grabbed ahold of Dumbledore's magic and_ yanked.

* * *

Severus and Harry both came out of the young man's mind gasping for breath as if they went deep sea diving without any oxygen. Tears were streaked down both of their faces and Harry was trembling. Severus jolted when Remus suddenly rushed over and knelt down by Harry. The wolf ran his hands all over Harry's face and neck worriedly.

"Pup, are you okay? What happened in there?" Snape didn't know what to do. He too wished to reach out to the boy but a) didn't want to get his hand bitten off by an angry werewolf and b) wasn't sure if his touch would be welcome. Instead his slightly shaky hands reached into his robes and pulled out a vial of orange liquid.

He held it out to his son who appeared to be trying not to flinch back from Lupin's frantic touching.

"Your head no doubt hurts rather severely," he was able to croak out, startling both Harry and the wolf. Harry, eyes still wet and red-rimmed, quirked a bitter smile at him in thanks and took the potion without comment. Only moments after the boy emptied the vial's contents, they could see him visibly relax.

"Thank you," came Harry's rough whisper. Draco slowly wandered over and awkwardly stood at Harry's side.

"Are you… _well_ , Potter?" The Gryffindor snorted at Draco's awkward handling and, surprising everyone, shook his head 'no'.

"No, Draco. I'm really not." Remus smiled at Harry sadly and ran his hand through the boy's hair as Draco frowned at his friend.

"Why don't you come take a nap in my room, Pup?" The young man blushed a bit at being called pup but after a moment's hesitation nodded. He took Remus's hand to help him stand on his shaky legs. Before following the werewolf out to the man's room, Harry once again surprised everyone by throwing himself at Severus.

The Potions Master caught his son as gracefully as he could and was so stunned it took him a second or two to respond to the boy's embrace. However, once he realized what was happening, Snape wrapped his arms around Harry and held him tight. Emotion clogged his throat once more as visions of young Harry crying and bleeding filled his mind.

"Thank you," Harry whispered into Snape's chest. Severus squeezed him tighter.

"Of course," he whispered back. After another few moments, Harry released him and followed Remus out the door, the wolf's arm around his shoulders. Within moments the two of them were gone leaving the Slytherins in the room.

"Are _you_ okay, Uncle Sev?" Snape turned his attention to his godson and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I…will be. Eventually. Thank you for being here for him, Draco." The young man's cheeks pinked lightly and he rolled his eyes while shrugging.

"All I did was stand in the room." Snape knew better than to try and convince the boy otherwise. It would only embarrass Draco and make him less inclined to show care in the future. Instead he simply squeezed Draco's shoulder, thanked him again and suggested he spend some time with his father before supper.

Once Draco left it was only Tom and Severus. Snape finally looked at the Dark Lord and found he almost didn't recognize the man. Despite all of the magic and rituals that made the Dark Lord appear barely thirty years old, Tom looked ancient in that moment. The Potions Master didn't quite connect the dots until he saw Riddle rubbing his temples.

The Dark Lord finally noticed his follower was watching him and sighed.

"I did what I could to avoid seeing what you did. Harry's emotions, however…they were so strong it was like trying to hold back a tsunami." Snape pulled out another headache reliever and passed it over to the man silently. Tom nodded his thanks and downed it in one go. Snape waited for his Lord to say something, feeling uncharacteristically unmoored.

"Is it done, Severus? Were you able to remove Dumbledore from his mind?" The Potions Master was extremely relieved to be able to nod.

"Yes, My Lord. I removed all traces of the Headmaster's magic from Harry's mind." Tom was quiet for a few minutes, debating whether he wanted to know the details. Finally,

"Severus…tell me." Snape visibly shuddered as he tried to hold back his nausea and anger at the sudden assault of the memory on his mind.

"He…the Headmaster visited Harry when he was seven. The Old Fool apparently figured the age was significant. Harry's vile uncle dragged him out of a cupboard by his hair and threw him down before the Headmaster. Dumbledore…he ran a _soul scan_ on the boy." The Dark Lord hissed, knowing how painful such magic was and no doubt how terrifying it was for Harry who knew nothing about magic. "The Old Fool was muttering to himself angrily about how the scan showed Harry's soul was too soft to be what he needed to be. That's when Dumbledore _tried_ to penetrate Harry's mind to insert his magic." Tom's eyes narrowed.

" _Tried_?" Severus nodded.

"Apparently…Harry is a natural at Occlumency," Snape's voice shook as he said this. "The Headmaster had to fight to get into Harry's mind and the boy wouldn't stop screaming in pain as Dumbledore punctured his mind shields repeatedly. It took a long time for the old man to finally break through and cast his spell." Severus had to clear his throat of emotion before he continued, Harry's little screams echoing in his mind. "He told him to desire to become a Gryffindor, to hate both of us and all Slytherins and to be completely loyal to him. The trigger was manual. Whenever Dumbledore felt Harry was straying from his predetermined path, the Headmaster would tell him ' _I'm proud of you, my boy'_ to trigger the altered Polaris spell to make Harry loyal again. Then he Obliviated Harry, _paid_ Vernon Dursley and left for Harry to get whipped severely by his uncle. Vernon screamed at Harry about tainting his house with freakishness."

Both men stood in silence for a few minutes before Tom conjured them both strong drinks with a wave of his hand. They each downed the ample hard liquor like a shot before taking another large serving and slowly, quietly sipping on the alcohol while thinking about all the different ways they would murder Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

 **The previously mentioned angst as promised! I hope you can forgive me for the cliff hanger! 3**

 **Please review!**


	34. Chapter 34

Fickle Fate: Chapter 34

 **Hello all! I am here and freshly graduated! I had planned to update yesterday, but was working all day and came home exhausted and unable to finish the chapter. Yet, it is here now!**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **We're In**

Harry cried out in exhilaration as he flew through the air on his broomstick. It felt like his first breath of freedom in weeks. The Twins had joined him, Ron, Hermione and Draco outside for a fly about. Well…the guys were all flying about. Hermione was watching with fondness, exasperation and a bit of fear from the ground. They didn't have near enough people to play a pickup game of Quidditch, but Rodolphus conjured them a quaffle to throw around.

It had been a week or so since Severus had removed Dumbledore's magic from inside his mind and things had been…interesting. Harry spent a lot of time recovering from the ordeal in Remus's room, mostly to avoid everyone else. The werewolf was nothing but patient and gentle with him. It only made Harry feel even more guilty for avoiding the man before. Remus had sighed and pet Harry's hair as the boy lay in the man's bed, trying to fully wake from his nap.

" _Harry_ ," Remus had said, " _You know I love you as my own. It doesn't matter to me who your father is. It doesn't matter to me if you care for one man more than the other. I understand that everything has been more than overwhelming these past few weeks. I also understand that I wasn't helping by insisting you read James's journal. I just…I just want you to be happy, Pup."_ What followed was yet another heart-to-heart conversation. It seemed to Harry that he had had more serious, emotional conversations in the past month than he had had his entire life. It was weird, and at times uncomfortable, but he supposed that if it came with having people truly care about you him...he could handle it.

Harry's relationships with both Severus and Sirius were improving slowly but steadily. After carefully removing Dumbledore's magic from his mind, Severus had earned a decent amount of trust back from Harry. In fact, they would start Occlumency lessons soon…to help Harry rebuild his natural shields. Sirius had somehow heard about the situation and instead of running to Harry, begging for the details or demanding to know if Snape hurt him, Sirius only asked after Harry's well-being. Harry's godfather hugged him, asked him if he was okay and told him he was always there if he needed someone to talk to. When Harry didn't really want to talk about it, Sirius didn't push and just held him close. That was how Sirius won a lot of trust back as well.

"Oi, Harry! Stop day dreaming before you fall of your broom!" Harry jolted at Ron's call and saw his friends all floating near him with varying expressions of concern and amusement. Harry's cheeks pinked and he shrugged sheepishly.

"Sorry. Hey do you think-"

"Guys! Come back down here!" Everyone looked down to the ground to see Hermione waving to them. With put upon sighs they all descended.

"'Mione, what's going on? We barely got anytime to fly," Ron whined. Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.

"You were up there for almost three hours. Besides, I didn't call you down to ruin your fun. Vol-Tom wants to talk to you and the Twins." Ron's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs and his mouth hung open in shock.

"Wha- me? B-but, not Harry?" Ron's voice went up in pitch at the end, giving off his fear.

"C'mon, Ronnikins! Ol' Snake Face is calling and we must answer." As the older Weasley boys dragged a still stuttering Ron off, Harry and Draco tried to get back on their brooms.

"Oh no you don't! Mr. Malfoy wants to speak with you two." Harry and Draco had no idea what Draco's dad wanted to talk to them both about but huffed and dismounted.

"You know, 'Mione, I distinctly recall a time in fourth year when you screamed at me about you not being an owl." Both boys went running when Hermione started throwing stinging hexes at them. The two fell over themselves in laughter as they skidded into the Lestrange Manor foyer.

"Why, Potter, do you feel a distinct need to poke the bear," Draco asked as his breath came back. Harry wiped away the tears from his cheeks and raised a brow at the Slytherin.

"I wouldn't let Hermione hear you calling her a bear, Malfoy." The two bickered back and forth until they got to the office Lucius claimed as his own for their time at Lestrange Manor. After knocking the older man bid them enter. He raised a brow at their windswept hair and rumpled clothes.

"You two seem like you've had a good time." Harry sent him an easy smile.

"Yes, Sir. It felt good to go flying again after being inside all week." Lucius inclined his head in understanding.

"I'm sure. Please, have a seat." He motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk and Draco and Harry sat themselves down. At this point Harry didn't think he was in trouble but he still didn't know what to expect. "I am glad to see you two getting along." Lucius watched the boys closely as they shifted and shrugged. "This is good, especially since Draco will also be returning to Hogwarts at the end of the summer." That got both boys sitting up and looking at him in confusion.

"Sir, is that a good idea?" When Draco shot Harry and glare, the boy back-tracked. "I…I just mean, it will be dangerous. I already made the mistake of accidentally forcing Ron and Hermione into having to return with me." Lucius sighed internally as Harry's self-hatred reared its head again. They had all learned over the past weeks that Harry's self-confidence was primarily a facade, a defense mechanism. The young Gryffindor took a lot of blame onto his shoulders and was very hard on himself. Even when others expressed forgiveness towards him, Harry never really forgave himself. It was…painful.

"You are correct, Harry. It is dangerous. In fact…it took a lot of discussion for me to feel comfortable with the idea." Draco looked surprised and that caused a pang in Lucius's chest. He and his son had grown much closer since his mother had been cast out, but they still had a long way to go. Draco still had a hard time believing that Lucius truly loved him and would put his safety above the war and the family name. Shaking his head, Lucius got his mind back on the conversation at hand. "However, it was finally decided that to completely throw the Headmaster off guard and to keep up an image of normality and innocence, every one of you will attend school as normal. On the other hand, I can easily use the attack on our manor this summer to sway the Minister and the rest of the Board into allowing me to regularly visit the school. It will be in the guise of ensuring everything is running smoothly and that Dumbledore hasn't gone completely off his rocker. I heavily insinuated in my previous meeting with the Minister that Dumbledore was behind the attack on our home and he readily believed it." Harry snorted.

"Wow, Fudge actually believing something that's _true?_ I'm shocked." Lucius tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Yes, well, as you are familiar with, Harry, people readily believe what they want to believe, truth or not." Harry nodded his understanding.

"Father, you said you'd be coming in the _guise_ of making sure the school is running well and checking on Dumbledore's mental state. What will you actually be there for?" Lucius turned his attention to his son.

"Primarily, I will be checking on you all, to make sure you are safe and to allow you to give me updates which I can act upon more immediately than a letter by owl. It will also give us the chance to have more guarded conversations. No doubt the Headmaster will be monitoring your mail or any floo calls. Also, we hope to throw Dumbledore off of your scent. There is a good chance he has already figured out that there is a Horcrux in Hogwarts. With me regularly showing up, he will think _I_ am the one searching for it, hence my insistence on the Board-authorized visits. Instead, you all will be searching for the Horcrux. Draco, your job will also be to convey to the Slytherin house the new change in our side of the war. The school needs to be as united as possible for everything to work as it should. You two don't need to be the best of friends, but your lack of hostility should at the very least get the students, and hopefully the faculty, reconsidering their stance on light versus dark. You two especially will be our representatives of a new war." The boys nodded along as Lucius explained.

"It will be harder since Uncle Sev resigned." Lucius conceded his son's point.

"Yes, but he is currently working on a plan to approach a key member of the faculty who in turn could work on getting the rest of the staff to turn against Dumbledore." Harry slowly nodded but didn't seem very convinced.

"But how do we know that Professor Dumbledore didn't just do the same thing to them that he…that he did to me?" Lucius saw Draco glance at Harry with sincere concern in his eyes and it was…curious.

"That is a valid concern, and while I am sure you don't want to hear this, I don't want you to worry about this. I know that it is hard for you, Harry, but try and trust us with this. We have considered the matter carefully and have many plans in place. I promise you whatever you need to know you will know, and the necessity of knowledge will not be determined arbitrarily. Now, can we trust you two to play your parts and to complete the task set before you to the best of your abilities?" As he had intended, the words caused the boys to sit up straighter and appear more confident as they nodded firmly. In truth, Lucius hated the fact that they had to give the children such a task. He, like the others, would rather they live normal childhoods far away from the horrors and burdens of war. Unfortunately, they were born in a time of conflict to key players, and their part to play could no longer be avoided.

Lucius cleared his throat and brought himself back to the present. (It seemed everyday he was becoming more and more accustomed to introspection.)

"Very good. Now, unfortunately, I have a lot of work to accomplish in a short amount of time, but I will see you both at dinner. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon." With a pleasant smile he sent them on their way. However, the minute the door closed, Lucius sighed and dropped his head in his hands.

He _hated_ this.

Meanwhile…

"Do you two have any idea what this is about?" The Twins took a small amount of mercy on their little brother and each wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Now, Ronnikins…"

"Whatever happens…"

"We will protect you…"

"Unless he's mad…

"And then you're on your own." Ron huffed and rolled his eyes at Fred and George.

"Thanks a lot," he muttered. It didn't take them long to reach the Dark Lord's office, but Ron was sweating when the arrived. They were quickly called in. All three young men froze when they saw who was waiting for them.

"Bill!"

"Charlie!" Ron was across the room in half a second and flinging his arms around Charlie's strong shoulders. The Dragonologist clung to his baby brother as the Twins attacked Bill. After a few moments they all switched and Bill had his arms around Ron and Charlie had the Twins.

Bill's eyes grew sad when he felt his shirt growing damp from Ron's tears. He knew the past month had to have been really hard on his brothers (he and the Dark Lord had had an interesting chat before his brothers were brought in), especially Ron who adored their parents. Surprisingly, Ron was the one to pull back. He wiped his tears away roughly.

"How'd you find us? Did you…did you talk to Mum and Dad," Ron asked, his voice rough with emotion. Bill squeezed the back of Ron's neck in comfort.

"I actually fire called them, just to check in. Dumbledore answered and told me that you and your friends had turned dark. I stepped through immediately. Then Mum popped in screeching the same thing, begging me to stay home to help get you back. Dad…he just sat there like a lump," Charlie growled. "It all seemed so…wrong. So I said I just had to tell my boss what was going on and grab some things from my dorm. The Headmaster almost didn't let me leave. Luckily he did, and the first thing I did was call Bill." Charlie tipped his head toward their eldest brother who took over the explanation.

"I took the job in Egypt because I had always been suspicious of Dumbledore and wanted to get far away from his realm of influence. This just cinched it. I knew that if you and your friends "turned dark" as they said, something drastic must have happened. As to finding you, well I had a little help from the goblins in finding out where you were and getting in." For the first time, Tom spoke.

"Those are some powerful friends you have," he tone was clearly impressed. Bill looked at him with his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

"They just hate me slightly less than all other wizards and witches. I also _happened_ to drop Harry Potter's name and mentioned he and Dumbledore seemed to have had something of a falling out. Apparently…they've been hoping such a thing would happen." Tom tilted his head in curiosity.

"The goblins do not take sides in Wizarding conflicts." Bill nodded.

"That's true. But they despise Albus Dumbledore, and like me they hate Harry Potter slightly less than everyone else. They showed me everything they have on the Headmaster," Bill's face twisted into a scowl the likes of which his brother's had never seen on his face before. "Charlie and I didn't know what we were going to do until they showed us everything. Now…" Bill hesitated, still unsure. Charlie didn't though.

"If you want to end Dumbledore, then we want in."

* * *

 **I love these Weasley boys, so I just had to bring them in!**

 **Please review!**


	35. Chapter 35

Fickle Fate: Chapter 35

 **Guys...the adult world is hard, and exhausting...still pretty cool though. Here's a new chapter!**

 **Note: This chapter ignores certain scenes from the 5th movie that weren't in the book (I'm trying not to spoil anything!).**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Damage**

Harry smiled as he shot off another curse and Severus only just managed to jump out of the way. His professor had largely been on the defensive for the past five minutes of their duel and Harry was starting to feel confident. He tried to reign it in though, knowing cockiness would be his downfall. Harry blocked out the noises his friends were making behind the magical barrier as he focussed on winning the duel. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he only hesitated for a moment before enacting it.

Harry swiped his left hand to the side, while his right hand held his wand steady. This served two purposes: one, it confused Severus and set him on edge and two, it let Harry incorporate his wandless magic as a diversion. The young Gryffindor had been excelling quickly in his lessons with Voldemort and with that simple gesture was able to tug Severus's leg enough to unbalance him. With the Potions Master unbalanced Harry cast a silent disarming spell. With Severus's wand in Harry's hand, the duel ended and the magical barriers fell. His friends cheered and a bright smile broke across Harry's face. Snape blinked down at his empty hand in shock for a couple seconds before sending a small smile towards his son.

"Well done, Harry. That was quite impressive." Harry's cheeks pinked a little and he shrugged.

"I've been getting better in my lessons with Tom and thought I'd give it a try." Severus nodded his understanding.

"An impressive trick. However, one that would likely only work once with an opponent." Harry acknowledged the caution. "You're idea actually gives me one of my own. I believe we should move on to practicing your casting and dueling skills with your non-dominant hand. This could be a very useful skill should your dominant hand become hurt in a fight."

The smile dimmed and faded from Harry's face and Severus was confused as to the reason. A quick glance at Harry's friends found Draco looking unconcerned but Hermione and Ron grimacing.

"Harry…" Hermione muttered like she wanted him to say something, however Snape's son shook his head.

"It's fine, 'Mione," Harry said quietly. Confused about the conversation but not wanting to press, Severus called for his students to switch their wands to their non-dominant hand.

"We'll start with simple, more-or-less harmless spells. The primary issue should simply be perfecting the wand motions. Your magic won't differentiate or conduct differently from your opposite hand. You will begin with _Wingardium Leviosa_." As the teenagers set to their task, Severus kept a close eye on them. As expected, they struggled at first due to sloppy hand movements. However, in a few minutes they had almost mastered the simple spell…that is…everyone but Harry.

Instead of calling him out in front of everyone like he would have done in Potions class, Severus approached Harry individually.

"Harry, you seem to be struggling, rather unexpectedly I might add. You did wandless magic just fine with your left hand only minutes ago." Harry's jaw clenched and he didn't respond immediately.

"I'm just not as ambidextrous as the others, I guess," he muttered as he continued to attempt the correct wand movement. In his periphery, Snape could see Harry's friends had stopped practicing to focus on the two of them. When Harry offered no further explanation, Ms. Granger sighed.

"Harry, you should tell him." Harry cast a glare at his friend over his shoulder.

"'Mione, no." Ron gave Harry a sharp look right back.

"Mate, it's something he should know. Hell, something an _adult_ should know." Snape was shocked when Harry actually sneered at his friends.

"It was an _adult_ who-" Harry cut himself off before he could admit to whatever it was he didn't want Snape to know.

"Harry," Severus started gently. "If there's something wrong, I can't help you until I know what it is." After a moment, Harry turned a hard stare in his direction.

"It's nothing, Sir. I'm fine." Severus raised an unimpressed brow and glanced towards Harry's left hand. The Potions Master was surprised to see it trembling as it held Harry's wand.

"I wouldn't say that is nothing," he said, concern seeping into his tone. Snape reached forward to grab Harry's left hand but the boy pulled it away. "Harry, what…are you hurt? Do you not trust me?" Harry grimaced as the sliver of hurt that Snape hadn't been able to keep from his tone. Their relationship had been improving significantly over the past few weeks and Harry was starting to care a bit for the Potions Master. However, they were no where near to being "close" as evidenced by Harry's continued keeping of secrets.

"I-I think it's nerve damage, Professor," suddenly came from Hermione.

"'Mione," Harry yelled angrily.

"Harry, he's a Potions Master! He could help make it better," Hermione yelled back. Draco looked back and forth between the two friends and furrowed his brows.

"Nerve damage? What could have possibly done that?" Snape's mind immediately jumped to the Dursleys, knowing their treatment of his son was vile and despicable. However, that was not what suddenly spewed from Mr. Weasley's mouth.

"Detentions with Umbridge, that's what." Severus felt his blood run cold and he stared Ronald down.

" _What_ " he asked in a tone so sharp it could cut steel. Ron seemed to lose his voice for a moment. Meanwhile, Draco's mouth had dropped open and somehow he had grown paler.

"I…but…but that was just a rumor," the blond boy said, clearly horrified by something. Harry was now shaking all over, whether in fear or anger Severus did not know.

"Draco, what are you talking about?" Severus _tried_ to keep his desperation and anger from his voice but he wasn't sure he succeeded. His godson looked at him, that horrified look still on his face.

"There…there was a rumor going around that Umbridge was torturing students during detention…that…that she made them use a black quill." Without warning, Snape's magic cracked in the air like a whip and his eyes flashed with power. He reigned it in, in the next moment, but everyone clearly got the impression of just how angry he really was.

"She used it on a lot of students…even first years," said Hermione, her voice shaking a little with emotion and her eyes bright with tears. "She had the entire DA writing lines with them when she caught us. But…but Harry had _so many_ detentions with her." Harry's anger seemed to drain right out of him and he curled in on himself.

"I'm okay, Hermione. I'm…better me than another first year." Hermione shook her head, hair flying about.

"No, you're not, Harry! You have scars on your hand. Y-You can barely hold anything in that hand, because it shakes so bad when you try!" Harry opened his mouth to argue but seemed to lose the words on their way out.

"Harry, let me see your hand." Snape kept his tone soft but the command was clear. His son, however, shook his head. " _Harry_. Your hand." Harry's face scrunched up for a second, his emotions getting the better of him, and he shook his head again.

"Mate, it's okay. You should show him." Harry looked to Ron in surprise and only when the red head nodded his encouragement did Harry finally raise his left hand to show Severus.

 _I must not tell lies._ As gentle as if he was handling precious potions ingredients, Severus took hold of Harry's scarred hand. Snape ran his thumb along the words and tried to find his breath because it fled from his chest the moment he saw the scar. Harry hand shook in his grasp and Severus knew it wasn't entirely from the damage of that mad woman's torture. Snape held his wand over Harry's hand and cast a diagnostic spell. Even as he spoke the words, the man cursed himself in his mind for never doing a full medical history scan on his son. When the spell finished running its course, the Potions Master finally spoke.

"Ms. Granger was partially correct. There is some nerve damage, primarily due to the dark magic of the quill seeping deep into your hand. However, there is also…tendon damage, damage that could have only been done…from the quill cutting deep enough to reach the tendons." Ron laid an arm around Hermione's shoulders as she started to cry. Draco still looked too stunned to speak and Harry wouldn't look at any of them. Severus cleared his throat. "I have potions that should be able to heal most of the damage. Unfortunately, I cannot say that it will all go away, as the damage is…extensive and has been left too long." The Potions Master looked to the other three teens. "You three may go. Lessons are cancelled for the rest of the day. Harry, if you would come with me; I will get you those potions."

Harry only nodded numbly and followed Severus out of the room and towards the potions lab. The walk was silent as the young Gryffindor didn't feel like talking and Snape didn't know what to say. When they made it to the lab, Severus motioned for his son to take a seat while he went to get the potions he wanted.

After some consideration he came back with two vials and a jar. He held up a vial of green syrup looking gunk.

"This is for the nerve damage. It should remove the traces of dark magic," he said. Then he held up a vial of liquid that looked like pink-tinted water. "This is for the tendon damage." As he passed the vials over to Harry, he then indicated the jar he had grabbed. "When you are finished with those, I want to rub some of this on the injury site. It should sooth any lingering discomfort and encourage recovery." Harry drank the potions and still didn't say anything.

Severus took the vials back and then scooped up a dollop of the cream on two of his fingers. With gentle strokes, the Potions Master worked the cream into the back of Harry's hand. Even when he finished he didn't let go of Harry's hand.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" The words came out of Snape's mouth before he could stop them. He winced internally but didn't apologize. His son's hand twitched in his grip and the boy grimaced.

"I tried," Harry finally whispered after a few moments. "I didn't want to at first. Hermione kept pushing me to tell someone, but I…I felt like I would be weak if I did or I'd be letting her win if I went whining to a professor. When I kept refusing to even go to the Hospital Wing, 'Mione got Murtlap essence and used it to try and help the words heal. It worked at first, but after a while it…it wasn't really helping." Harry periodically glanced up at Severus and the Potions Master made sure to keep an encouraging expression on his face. "It wasn't until I noticed that she was doing it to other students, first years even, that I tried to tell someone. I…I went to Professor McGonagall and…she wouldn't even listen to me. She just told me to keep my head down and walked away."

Snape's brows pulled together as he frowned. He had known Minerva for years and she forever fiercely protected any student, but especially her Lions. Granted the past school year was more than a nightmare with that pink monstrosity running rampant but for Minerva to simply dismiss Harry like that…it seemed completely out of character from the woman he knew.

While he hated learning about the torture his son had been through, it gave him a rather brilliant idea.

"I am so sorry that you felt alone in this, Harry. That you _were_ alone in this. If I had known…" Harry only shrugged at Severus's apology.

"I don't see why you would have. She didn't exactly broadcast what she was doing and she avoided doing it to Slytherins. I guess there are too many Snakes with powerful parents." Finally Harry looked up and met his eyes, a small smirk gracing his lips. "I also wouldn't be surprised if she was a little scared of what you might do to her if you found out." Severus couldn't help the scowl that warped his face, just imaging the vile woman.

"She should have been. I would have destroyed her, Ministry backing or no." There was silence for a few moments and then a quiet whisper broke through.

"W-would you have?" Harry's words caused Severus's heart to shatter. While their current relationship was leaps and bounds from where they had been, it still was far from perfect or very strong. Knowing what he now knew about his son, Severus understood the question was sincere rather than deliberately disrespectful. Harry honestly couldn't believe that an adult, especially Snape, would care enough about him to protect him, to intervene in such a dreadful matter. Harry was used to being left alone, ignored and ridiculed for any sign of 'weakness' and Severus wanted to kill the old man who had forced such circumstances upon his son.

However, now was not the time to fantasize about murder. Severus put a finger under Harry's chin and encouraged the boy to lift his head and meet his eyes.

"Absolutely. Spy or not. Dumbledore's pawn or not." Severus took a deep breath. "Whether I _liked_ you or not, I absolutely would have  ended her had I known what she was putting you through. What she did was beyond barbaric. No one deserves what she did, especially not children and especially not _you_. I hope you see that, Harry. You _did not deserve this_." Severus emphasized every word in his last sentence to try and make it stick with Harry.

Snape could feel Harry trembling and knew what was coming. Sure enough, not a moment later tears spilled from Harry's eyes and the boy shuddered through a sob. Only months ago, no one would have believed it, but in this moment, Severus embraced Harry without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around the boy and the young Gryffindor quickly dissolved into full, body wracking sobs. As he felt a wet patch growing on the front of his robes, Severus only held his son tighter.

* * *

 **I've been trying to get to this scene for ages! Please keep in mind: I'm not a doctor yet! I'm just making things up!**

 **Please review!**


	36. Chapter 36

Fickle Fate: Chapter 36

 **I feel like these past few weeks have been a whole year with the amount of stuff I've done. Wow I'm tired! Thank you to everyone who reached out with nice things about the last chapter! :)**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **First Steps...**

It was overcast and starting to rain when he arrived on the grounds. He did not bother with a warming charm, knowing he would not be outside long. The man intentionally came during the day. Appearing at night would only set the owner of the manor on edge.

Within a few moments, he reached the front door. Luckily he had been able to apparate well within the manor's wards. He knocked and heard the sound reverberate in the large house.

Severus couldn't say he was surprised when the door opened and Minerva had a wand pointed directly at his nose.

"How did you get here," she growled at him. Snape barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Really, Minerva. We both know your wards are set to only allow friends and family in and will send anyone else off with a rather nasty burn. Seeing as we are not related and I am standing here, injury free, that can only mean you trust me as a friend." Minerva's mouth, _somehow_ , managed to pinch together even more in irritation. "Yet, I will admit to some surprise. I assumed Dumbledore would have convinced you that I had switched loyalties and abandoned the Light side of the war."

Minerva didn't answer right away. She narrowed her eyes and examined him closely for a few moments. Finally, she lowered her wand and stepped aside to let him enter.

"Dumbledore has convinced me of next to nothing as of late." McGonagall marched off to her sitting room and Severus followed. Once there, the elderly witch poured herself a significant amount of Scotch despite the early hour. Snape was about to question her when the older professor started talking again. "You are correct, Severus. Dumbledore did attempt to convince me that you were a traitor to the Light. I was skeptical." They seated themselves and Severus raised a brow, asking for clarification. "You deliberately give off a cold air, Severus, but remember, I've known you since you were a child. You've always been…sensitive," Snape scowled at her description but it softened when she continued,"and apart from that, extremely loyal."

With a wave of her wand, a tumbler with a more appropriate amount of alcohol appeared in front of Severus. He took it and nodded his head in thanks before taking a sip.

"However," now McGonagall was scowling. "The old fool lost me when he said you had managed to convince Potter to join Voldemort. At that point I knew, the Headmaster has completely lost his mind."

"And where do you think Mr. Potter is," Severus queried. Minerva narrowed her eyes in suspicion of Snape's calm tone.

"Well…I am hoping I am right in suspecting that Black and Lupin took him away to America and far from the war. Those two have disappeared along with Potter and his friends." Severus took a small sip of alcohol, not taking his eyes off of Minerva.

"So you want Mr. Potter out of the war," Snape asked. He was not about to tell the witch where Harry was until he got a better understanding of her thoughts and feelings on the situation.

"Of course I do," Minerva snapped. Her face twisted into a scowl as she took a full gulp of Scotch. "I've never wanted that poor boy involved but Dumbledore has this ridiculous idea that only Mr. Potter can destroy Voldemort. Why we _suddenly_ put stock in one of Sybill's ridiculous predictions when we never have before, I have no idea!" Suddenly the old witch turned the full force of her glare on Severus. "I may be on the Light side of the war, Severus, but I am hardly a fan of the Headmaster. Unfortunately, he is the strongest wizard on our side who could end the war and my superior." Snape didn't even wait for McGonagall to finish swallowing before he spat out,

"Is that why you ignored students getting tortured under your watch? Because Albus Dumbledore told you to?" Minerva just about choked on her Scotch. Once she had caught her breath again she shot Snape a sharp look.

" _Excuse me_? I would _never_ allow such a thing! How dare you-"

"And yet Dolores Umbridge was allowed free reign to use a black quill on all of the students in her detentions and you merely told Mr. Potter to 'keep his head down.'" Minerva froze; in fact she froze for so long Severus thought she had had a stroke.

"She. Did. _What?"_ McGonagall bit off each word viciously. At that point Snape was one hundred percent convinced that the older witch had honestly had no idea what Umbridge was doing to his son and the other students. He had had strong inclinations to believe it before, but that uncertainty lingered until Minerva expressed her absolute (and sincere) shock and disgust at being told what Umbridge had done.

"I was only just made aware of the events myself," Severus began, looking down into the depths of his tumbler and surprising Minerva with the amount of emotion he showed. It was still considerably less of a reaction than a regular person but for Severus it was practically screaming his feelings. "Mr…excuse me, Harry…circumstances forced Harry to tell me of last year's detentions with that vile woman. She would make them write lines with a black quill so her lessons would 'sink in.' Many students, even first years, were subject to her cruelty though it seemed she avoided using it on Slytherins and students of influential pureblood families." Minerva's hand had migrated up to cover her mouth, as though to contain her screams of horror. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears.

"Harry had so many detentions with her," she finally breathed out, as the extent of the problem finally clicked in her mind. Snape slowly nodded.

"Yes. I was only able to pry the information out of him because I…" Here he paused, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, he decided it was worth it to share at least some of the summer's events to elicit more trust from Minerva and perhaps convince her to turn further from Dumbledore's side. "I have been teaching Harry, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley and my godson Draco Potions and Dueling these past few weeks. They were all excelling. In fact, Harry managed to best me in a duel just yesterday. As such I suggested they practice casting with their non-dominant hand. I was concerned when everyone _but_ Harry was picking it up quickly. That's when I noticed the hand tremors." Snape cleared his throat and took a sip of alcohol. "It took some time and help from his friends but I finally was able to cast a diagnosis charm on him and get the story. He had so many detentions with her that he has nerve and tendon damage. I fear at least some of it may be permanent."

Minerva was in utter shock. She felt like she couldn't move as the pain from simply _thinking_ about such torture to a child immobilized her. The older witch didn't know what to feel, what to think as her mind was overwhelmed with images of her students, her _children_ in pain and herself…having done nothing to stop it.

Then she got mad.

McGonagall's magic whipped about the room smashing and throwing anything in its path. Snape stayed perfectly still to avoid flying debris.

"I will kill them both!" The older witch only allowed herself that one outburst and then she sat down slowly and regally in her chair. A house elf popped into the room once things stopped flying about.

"Mistress is needing Pips to clean?" Minerva took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, Pips. That would be appreciated. I apologize for such a mess." The house elf wouldn't hear of it and shook her head, big ears flopping about.

"No sorry's, Mistress. Pips heard what made Mistress mad. Pips be mad too." Both witch and wizard inwardly shuddered at the cold, evil glint in the house elf's eyes. For all that house elves were servants to Wizarding kind, they were very powerful in their own right and if they really wanted to…they could murder anyone and never be caught.

With a snap of her fingers the room slowly put itself to rights again and the terrifying look left Pip's eyes.

"Pips be bringing Mistress and Guest tea," she said with a bow. Then she was gone, leaving Minerva and Severus alone. Minerva sighed and held up her head with her hand, elbow resting on the arm of the chair. When she finally looked up at Severus, she had tears in her eyes.

"How many? How many students did she do this to, Severus?" Snape grimaced.

"I cannot say. I spoke with Harry, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley about that very thing and all they could really say was _many_. The entirety of the DA organization was forced to use black quills in a collective detention when Umbridge caught them. Aside from that all that they know is that most of Gryffindor was subject to the quill at any point in time. I do not mean to be biased but…I suspect Harry still had the most detentions with her and the quill out of anyone." A single tear rolled down Minerva's cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

Her brows furrowed in frustration as she tried to recall something.

"I remember telling Mr. Potter what you quoted to me earlier. I remember…I knew she was a problem. I knew she was a horrid woman and something was wrong with the detentions. I wanted something to be done. I…" She must have finally stumbled upon the memory she was searching for because she paled and her eyes got wide. "I _did_ go to Albus. I told him something was wrong. He said he would investigate but the next day he called me into his office to tell me that nothing she was doing was out of line, just more severe than most detentions, that it would be best to leave her be until the Ministry determined she was no longer required at Hogwarts. That we should all play along and it would end soon. I…I knew that wasn't right, that it couldn't be right. But at the same time it all…made sense. From then on I don't think I questioned any of it. I just knew that Dumbledore said all was well and as such it would be fine. Later Mr. Potter tried to come to me and I just…dismissed him. At that moment I fully believed if he just kept his head down he would stop getting in trouble, though another part of me knew that would never happen. That boy never has been able to stand corrupt authority," here she scoffed derisively. "Not that anyone can blame him." The Potions Master allowed her a few moments to collect herself before commenting.

"It sounds like Albus used a Compulsion Spell on you. I would also suspect he cast a Loyalty Bind on you though the way you speak of him seems to disprove that." McGonagall nodded slowly as the idea took root in her mind.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it. I…just the other day I had to go to Gringott's in person, something I haven't done in years. I wanted to pick up some old journals from my vault and had to endure the Thief's Downfall. I suspect that the strong purification magic in the falls washed away any binds Dumbledore might have placed on me. However, I will make an appointment with the bank as soon as possible to have any other lingering enchantments removed. How…how could this have happened?" Before Snape could respond Pips popped back in with tea.

Severus thought better of downing the rest of his Scotch and simply exchanged the alcohol for the tea. The two ex-colleagues sat in silence for a few minutes, absorbing their reality. Snape came to a decision in his mind and prayed that the Dark Lord did not Crucio him for it later.

"Dumbledore has a long history of ruining people, Minerva. He…he took many things from many people. He took my son from me and turned us against one another." The tea cup that had been lifting towards Minerva's mouth froze in its trajectory.

"Y-you have a son?" Severus could practically see the cogs turning swiftly in Minerva's mind and knew the witch suspected his next answer.

"Yes. I- Harry. It's Harry. When the Dark Lord put me on a mission to spy on Dumbledore, the Headmaster attacked and altered my memories. He manipulated everything to make it seem that Lily and James fell in love and had Harry together when in fact it was myself and Lily. I am sorry to say that, even when the block on my memories was removed a few months ago, I was still not eager to accept Harry as my son. I still held animosity towards him and based his actions on inherent arrogance and idiocy and foolhardiness. Not long into the summer it was discovered that Albus used a butchered version of the Polaris Charm to force Harry to act certain ways towards certain individuals and triggers, mainly myself, Slytherins and the Dark Lord. I am glad to say that the spell was removed and things are getting better between us. We still have much to fix and work on but…our relationship is already significantly improved."

"Dear Merlin," Minerva breathed out. "That's…I'm so sorry, Severus. I…" She surprised Severus by reaching forward and taking hold of the man's hand. "I am glad you and Harry found each other, that you both now have someone." Severus cleared his throat of the emotion clogging it and gave her a grateful nod.

She pulled back and the settled back into silence for a little while longer.

"Severus," Minerva finally said. "Since you have been teaching Mr. Potter and his friends, I assume you know where they are?" Severus did not respond verbally but did nod. "And I'm assuming that since you clearly no longer trust Albus and he claims you have turned to the Dark side that you and the children are somewhere I would likely not approve of?" Another, more hesitant, nod. "I will finally assume that you have a plan to protect them and end Dumbledore?" Here Severus gave a strong nod and a vindictiveness shone in his dark eyes.

Minerva sat up straighter and looked determined.

"Tell me."

* * *

 **McGonagall is such a bada** to me and I just need her to not be a bad person in this story. Sorry if that bugs anyone!**

 **Please review!**


	37. Chapter 37

Fickle Fate: Chapter 37

 **Hello all! I am back! For those who might be curious, I too thought that the evil quill Umbridge had Harry use was called a Blood Quill. However, instead of simply writing that, I decided to do a quick Google search. According to fandom wiki, the quill is simply called a "Black Quill" or the "Black Punishment Quill." Personally, I prefer calling it a "blood quill" but for once I decided to try and be canonically accurate. Please enjoy this chapter!**

 ****Also, fair warning, I am not a strategist by any stretch of the imagination. As such, please be kind when reading this chapter.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **The Plan**

Albus roared in frustration and threw a trinket from his desk across the room. Two of the painted Headmaster's hanging on the wall ducked as the projectile smashed right between their faces. They glared at Dumbledore as they straightened themselves back up. The old man ignored them and slumped down into his seat.

He leaned over his desk and glared at the map that lay open on it. When he had taken it from Harry's trunk and finally figured out how to activate it, he scoured every inch of it. Albus was surprised that it even showed ghosts floating about the school. However, it seemed to him a good sign. If the map could show the dead surely it could show the location of a piece of living soul. Yet the blasted map showed nothing! He knew the Horcrux had to be in the school yet he couldn't find the damned thing.

The old man had spent the past six hours trying to find an alternate entrance to the Chamber of Secrets assuming if Tom hid it anywhere it would be there. However, that proved to be a pointless venture. He had been able to blast the bathroom entrance open, but without Parseltongue he couldn't open the main chamber. As the Headmaster he should know the school inside and out, however Salazar Slytherin had been determined to keep everyone but his ancestors from his private quarters. Now here he was, only a week before school reconvened and a Horcrux still somewhere in the castle. That morning he had also been informed that the Board would be sending a representative to observe the school twice a week to ensure everything was going well. He just knew that it would be Lucius Malfoy coming, and the Death Eater would be using the opportunity to find the Horcrux for his master.

To take his mind off of the failure for a moment, Dumbledore summoned the school registry. He scanned through the first years that would be arriving and made note of any Muggleborns and children from prominent families. In his mind these children were categorized into "easy to manipulate" and "make friends with the parents and milk them for gold or political clout". It was a time honored tradition of his and it calmed him down some. As he finished up with the incoming first years, a thought struck him and he flipped to the sixth years.

Dumbledore stared at the page for a long time, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy would all be returning for their sixth year at Hogwarts. The Headmaster was immediately set on edge. Sending the students back to the school he ran seemed completely counter to what any sane person would do. Granted the Dark Lord would never be considered sane under any definition, yet, Voldemort was still a strategist. Such a move would not be frivolous.

The minutes ticked by as Dumbledore's mind became engrossed with the new puzzle. Even as he pondered, plans were being laid for the coming school year, and they weren't in his favor.

* * *

Tom let out a deep breath, slow and controlled. His eyes were closed and it took all of his willpower not to pinch the bridge of his nose…or curse someone. When he finally opened his eyes and spoke, he _sounded_ calmer though he still seethed inside.

"Unfortunately, a part of me vaguely remembers such an occurrence. At some point during the height of my madness I must have seen it in Harry's mind. Or perhaps I sensed it through our connection." Tom stood and looked out of his office window and onto the grounds of the Lestrange Manor. He saw Harry (with Nagini wrapped around his feet), his friends, and the eldest Weasley boys talking and laughing. Harry suddenly tensed and looked up at the Manor. The boy spotted him in the window and gave him a nod in acknowledgement before turning back to his conversation. After a moment, Tom turned back to the occupants in his office. "Either way, at least something positive came from such an occurrence. Severus, you say that McGonagall is willing to aid us and get the rest of the staff on our side?"

The Potions Master inclined his head.

"In a manner of speaking, My Lord. It is more that Minerva would rather Dumbledore be taken down and the students protected than she is on our side. Though she feels it comes with great risk, she understands the importance of making everything as legal as possible. She is certain she can convince the rest of the staff at Hogwarts. Once she has them on board they will do all they can to keep the Headmaster from harming the students until we can take him out with the Ministry and officially end the war."

"What about, Umbridge," Rodolphus growled. The others in the room (Lucius, Sirius, Rabastan and Remus) nodded in agreement.

"Minerva made a rather brilliant point in that regard," Snape explained. "Umbridge made the mistake of using the black quill on Neville Longbottom, seeing as he was part of the DA. Minerva plans to mention it to Augusta at her earliest convenience." Lucius and the others smirked.

"Old Augusta will tear her to pieces. I'd pay to see that," the blond commented. Rabastan was pleased like the rest of them but still felt off about the whole plan.

"My Lord…" he started and then hesitated. Not all of them were used to Voldemort being sane yet and still worried about Crucios. "I…would you consider sending one of us in with the children? We could go Polyjuiced as another student." Tom shook his head.

"While I understand your concern, Rabastan, that would likely make things worse for them. Harry informed me he believes Dumbledore has his Map. The Headmaster could easily see that you are not actually a student and use that as a perfect excuse to attack." When the Lestrange brother reluctantly nodded his head, Tom continued. "However, I do have a plan to guarantee further protection." His followers looked to him eagerly.

Tom held up his family ring, the one he had removed his soul shard from. Then with a wave of his wand he made five copies, one for himself and everyone else present. He would make two more for Remus and Sirius later. The Dark Lord passed the rings to his followers and kept one for himself and the original to give to Harry.

"I have seeped the original ring in protection spells and emergency communication charms and will be giving it to Harry. In fact I got the idea from Ms. Granger. She spoke with me about the little defense club she and the boys had started this past year. Apparently, she created fake galleons to inform members of when the next secret meeting would be taking place. These rings will work in a similar fashion, but they will also help you locate Harry should he be in trouble. Ms. Granger will be making another fake galleon for Draco, cut off all of the fake galleons aside from theirs and use those to communicate with each other. I fear all of the children returning with distinct rings would make Dumbledore suspicious. Perhaps it makes me paranoid, but I imagine him spreading a rumor amongst the students that the rings are similar to the Dark Mark." Tom could see the tension releasing from his followers' shoulders as they now held a tangible way to keep tabs on the children.

"My Lord, once the children have located the final… _inanimate_ horcrux, and you have reunited with that piece of your soul, what shall be done," Rodolphus asked. At that point a house elf popped in with tea. Tom answered his follower as he scooped some sugar into his cup.

"I already have the plan in motion. Sirius Black, now as a free man, is reclaiming his seats in the Wizengamot. Once he is reinstated and the council has had their first meeting without a hitch, he will begin spreading rumors of a new lord. By the second meeting, Lord Slytherin will be reclaiming his seats on the Wizengamot." It took his followers a few moments to catch on to what their Lord meant. However, once they did, it was bright smiles all around. Tom smirked right back. "I will be introduced as Thomas Marvolo Riddle, last heir of Slytherin and as such, the rightful Lord Slytherin. I've been digging through ancient scrolls and family trees for weeks now." Before his followers could get too excited, he continued. "Also, as Harry's rightful guardian, Sirius can take the Potter seats by proxy, removing another handful of seats from Dumbledore's clutches. Though Harry is not biologically James Potter's son, the Ministry has James Potter listed as father on his birth certificate."

Severus felt an odd clench in his chest as the Dark Lord said that. It suddenly reminded him that even though he and Harry were moving closer to acknowledging each other as father and son out loud, Harry wasn't legally his unless Severus claimed him in accordance with the law. The Potions Master wasn't sure if he was ready for that, and he wasn't sure if Harry would even want that. Tom cast him a slightly sympathetic look before continuing his explanation.

"Finally, I also found that there is a living heir of Gryffindor. Harry Potter." There Severus's mouth fell open.

"But…how? Neither Lily nor I have any ties to the Gryffindor line." Tom nodded his head.

"You are correct. Neither of you do. However, James Potter did. According to Lupin, Lily asked James Potter to be Harry's godfather. I had Bill Weasley check with the goblins. Though Dumbledore didn't approve, they did the spell anyway. James Potter claimed Harry as his godson. Since James was the last of the Potter line, before his death he also made Harry his heir. Together these claims legally and magically make Harry the only living heir to the Potter seats and the Gryffindor seats, no matter that his birth certificate is false and despite being biologically Lily's and Severus's child. Dumbledore has been claiming the Gryffindor and Slytherin seats under his power as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Now the rightful heirs have been found, he has no rights to them once myself and Sirius as Harry's proxy claim them. First, we will take the seats, subsequently the Wizengamot, and then, the Ministry. Once that is complete, removing him from Hogwarts will be no great struggle at all. We will take over the Wizarding World legally." Tom gave his followers a superior smile and was honestly quite pleased with himself. However, a small voice in the back of his head reminded him of all the terrible mistakes he had made to get to this point.

"This is sounds like the makings of a great plan, My Lord," Severus said once he got over his initial shock. "However, Dumbledore will surely recognize your name and try to convince others that you are the Dark Lord." Tom conceded Snape's point.

"He will, but should he attempt to discredit me he will have no leg to stand on and no ear willing to listen. I have Bill and Charlie Weasley on the task of bringing me all the information they can from the goblins on Dumbledore's illegal activity. When they have gathered enough it will all land on the desks of Aurors we can trust and in the hands of everyone's favorite blonde reporter. Lucius and Sirius will simultaneously destroy Minister Fudge's reputation, which shouldn't be too hard. When he inevitably resigns, we will put forth the best candidate for the empty position." When he received confirmation that his Inner Circle were following his plan he revealed the most important part. "The key here, Gentlemen, is that I will _not_ be the one we promote as the Minister for Magic. We will promote Amelia Bones."

That certainly threw his followers through a loop. They had not been expecting that and yet…they were by and large relieved. She was a much more just witch than any before in the seat of Minister and was hardly a Dumbledore fanatic. After a few moments of silence to allow everyone to absorb the plan, Lucius spoke.

"We will have to make sure that Dumbledore doesn't get to her. If he catches wind of our plans to promote her then he could have her assassinated or put under the Imperius curse. Not to mention he has both Kingsley and Mad Eye Moony on his side. There have been whispers of those two recruiting Aurors and intimidating people in the Ministry that even suggest that Dumbledore might be wrong." Severus's eye twitched as he suddenly remembered the cut and bruise on Harry's cheek when he was first dropped off at Malfoy Manor.

He had had his suspicions as to the injury's origins and his son had confided in him not long ago and confirmed it. Kingsley Shacklebolt was of an intimidating stature and for a man that size to use his strength against a young boy…it made Severus quiver with rage.

"Yes, those two are going to be a problem." Tom's voice brought Snape out of his musings. "Rabastan, your task is to infiltrate the Aurors and determine which need to go. Do not determine this based on their side in the war. We can't give Dumbledore any leverage. Find the good ones, Light or Dark, and make sure they stay. Find a way to cut the bad ones from the bunch. Rodolphus, work with Bill and Charlie Weasley. Find out what you can on Shacklebolt and Mad Eye and ensure they are out of the equation. I don't want those wild cards involved should this come down to a fight."

"Lucius, you know your duties to distract Albus from the children and to use your connections to bring down Fudge in the Ministry and Dumbledore in the Wizengamot." The Malfoy Lord nodded his head in understanding.

"As for you, Severus, I'm afraid I am assigning you the most difficult task." Severus inclined his head and furrowed his brows.

"My Lord?" Tom rubbed his left temple to try and ease the tension building there.

"While I have been planning all of this and trying to regain my soul and sanity, I have been neglecting my other followers, the Outer Circle. I will be holding a general assembly meeting this evening to explain our new direction. I will need your skills as a Legillimens to help me determine who will truly fall in line…and who needs to be disposed of." Severus shuddered inside, knowing he would be physically, mentally and magically drained by the end.

"Yes, My Lord," he finally answered. "And…how shall the dissenters be disposed of?" Tom grimaced.

"I won't have them killed. I cannot say that we are turning to legal means of winning the war and then murder those who disagree. However, we cannot simply let them run free to tell the world anything they know. I need you to brew the tongue binding potion. If they truly refuse to follow this new course of action they will be sent to Azkaban so they won't interfere or harm anyone, but they cannot be able to speak of what they hear tonight at the meeting." That potion took a lot of time to brew and Severus suddenly understood why the Dark Lord wanted this meeting to occur so early. All Snape could think of was that he'd have to warn Harry that he probably won't be conscious for the next day or so, he'd be so exhausted.

"Yes, My Lord."

* * *

 **Well, I hope that didn't seem too tropey! To be perfectly honest, I had to go back and read this a few times myself to keep it all straight. Time to see if it actually works as they head back to Hogwarts and into the lions den (so to speak)!**

 **Please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

Fickle Fate: Chapter 38

 **First off...I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE! I have my list of excuses prepared: retook the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), prepped to move to a new state, prepped to actually start the new job, actually moved to new state, spent 2 days trying to get landlord to turn my water on...but hey...the new chapter is up!**

 **Friendly reminder: simply calling a story stupid is not constructive criticism. If you don't like it, don't read it and don't leave nasty comments. Those of you who send me nice comments, thank you for every word. They always make me smile. :)**

 ****Also, it was a long time ago, so you might not remember but SEVERUS QUIT HOGWARTS. That is all.**

 **...Also, I'm really tired and just spent 2 hours finishing this chapter. So I'm not gonna proof read it. Sorry in advance for any mistakes you come across.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **We're Back!**

Harry fiddled with the ring as he stared out the window of the train. His mind was running over Voldemort's words over and over again…

 _"All I can tell you is that the horcrux should be in the Room of Requirement." Harry's brows furrowed as he considered what the Dark Lord told him._

 _"Should be? Do you think Dumbledore will get there first?" Tom grimaced._

 _"It should not take him long to realize it is in the Room of Requirement. However, I cast a spell on it so it continually changes location within the Room of Requirement." Harry huffed but nodded his understanding._

 _"Ok. So any suggestions on how to actually get it?" Tom nodded, yet hesitated with his answer._

 _"I want your first resort to be to cancel the spell I placed on it. Since you likely won't be standing in front of the horcrux when you do it, point your wand at the ceiling and say_ Finite Finis _. Then use_ Accio _. If that doesn't work…I believe your…status as another horcrux could help you locate it. As the years have progressed my horcruxes grew in power and their…independence shall we say. Even if casting the cancellation charm works, there is no guarantee the horcrux will come to you. However, your link to it could lead you to it faster and perhaps…lull it into a false sense of security enough for you to grab it." Harry scrunched his face up in disbelief._

 _"Lull it into a false sense of security? You said this thing is like a tiara, right? You really think it's going to act like a wild animal?" Tom tilted his head in a "Perhaps" fashion and Harry suddenly grew a lot more concerned. "Tom…could this thing hurt us? I mean, that's probably a stupid question. Your diary was more than a little cruel. It literally tried to murder people." Tom opened and closed his mouth a few times trying to find the right words._

 _"I honestly can't say. I am hoping that since you are only going to find it and not destroy it, it won't lash out. However, for everyone's safety, the moment you find it and have it in hand, message me with this." Voldemort held out his family ring. Harry examined it closely before putting it on, admiring the strange symbol in the middle of the stone. "This will allow you to contact myself, any member of the inner circle and Sirius and Remus. I made it to work similarly to the fake galleons Ms. Granger created. I want you and your friends to continue to communicate with each other using those fake galleons. Only you will have this ring to communicate with those of us on this end. I don't want Dumbledore to think anything more of this ring than as an adornment. It is coated in protection spells which you will hopefully not need. Only use this in case of emergencies, Harry. Otherwise, give any reports to Lucius when he visits."_

Harry was jolted from his thoughts by Ron and Hermione's entrance into the compartment. He smiled up at his friends and they gave him nervous ones back. They had arrived at the platform separately to give the slight appearance of normality. Fred and George had dropped Ron off. Rabastan had glamored himself to look like Hermione's dad to drop her off and Remus had dropped Harry off. Everyone had been on edge, waiting for Order members to suddenly jump out and attack. Luckily they hadn't, yet that somehow put Harry more on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

As Harry focussed back on the present, Ron and Hermione took their seats.

"Draco is currently with the Slytherins," Ron said. "He's got himself a small audience and is already starting to fill them in on the Dark Lord's new direction. I've got to say, the Ferret works fast." Harry hummed in agreement. "I…I saw Ginny…" That got Harry to pop his head up. No one had brought up Ginny for both Harry and Ron's sakes. Ron had lost a sister and Harry had lost a girl he liked.

"Yeah, Mate? Are you…okay," Harry asked. The Boy Who Lived watched as Ron grimaced and Hermione took his hand.

"I don't know. She saw me and she just…glared at me like I was a Death Eater." Harry frowned in sympathy for his best friend. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could think of words to say.

"I…I'm sorry, Ron," was all Harry had to offer his friend. Ron shrugged and the room went quiet.

A few minutes later, Neville Longbottom suddenly barged into their compartment. He threw himself into the seat next to Harry and started talking at the stunned Trio.

"Guys, did you hear?! Umbridge was sacked and is getting twenty years in Azkaban!" Hermione was the first to recover her voice and speak.

"Really? But how!?" Neville smiled and seemed to puff his chest up in pride.

"My Gran. Before my parents…she was a vicious social justice fighter. Then she kind of dropped off and isolated herself in our home. But a couple weeks ago, Professor McGonagall reached out to her and told her to ask me about the Pink Toad and detentions I might have had with her." Neville looked down at his hands for a second, a sheepish expression on his face, before he brought his eyes back up. "I thought she'd be mad at me for either not telling her before or…you know…letting it happen and not fighting back." The Trio knew how demanding Neville's Gran could be, how she made Neville feel weak and inadequate. So they understood Neville's concerns. "But she didn't! Instead she stalked right out of the house through the floo and marched up to Fudge's office and almost bit the man's head off. When the Minister tried to give her the run around she immediately contacted the heads of other families and asked them about their child's detentions. She got so many furious replies within five minutes that Fudge had to believe her. Vials of memories were shipped straight to his office and piled up on his desk. Umbridge was arrested immediately, and her trial was set for the next day. Gran said it lasted no more than twenty minutes. It didn't get written about in the newspapers because it would have been a huge embarrassment to Fudge."

The Trio sat in silence for a few seconds, their mouths hanging open. Unsurprisingly, it was Ron who broke the silence.

"That's bloody brilliant!" He couldn't stop his lips from curling up in a smile and soon his friends were joining him. Harry clapped Neville on the back in his happiness. It felt like something was actually going right for once.

"Hey, Harry, that's a cool ring. I didn't know you wore jewelry," Neville commented. And just like that Harry was tense again. He sent Neville a tight smile.

"Yeah…I don't usually, but uh…this…"

"Sirius gave it to him this summer after he was officially declared innocent. Harry told us it was a sort of welcome home gift, right, Harry?" Harry mentally hugged Hermione for her quick thinking and sent her a real smile. It was stupid of them not to come up with an excuse for Harry's ring. However, with everything going on before they had to leave it somehow managed to slip all of their minds.

"Yeah. It was…well, I hate to admit it but we both cried a little when he was declared innocent and officially free. It meant I could finally stay with him and have a real family." Neville patted Harry's shoulder in congratulations and smiled softly. He knew how much having a family meant to Harry. "What about you, Neville," Harry asked to turn the conversation off of him. "I mean, has your Gran been okay this summer?"

The Trio were surprised when Neville sat up straight and beamed at them.

"She was great! I thought she'd be mad about the whole…Ministry thing, but she actually said she was proud of me! She's never said that before. Gran said I'm finally stepping up into the shoes my dad left behind." The rest of the train ride was spent talking about inane things, with the Trio talking about their cover stories given to them by Lucius and the Dark Lord. Ron was at the Burrow all summer but had a big row with Ginny right before they got on the train, hence why she won't talk to him (and why the Twins dropped him off in case anyone asked). Hermione was on a vacation with her family in Australia for most of the summer. Harry was with the Dursleys until his godfather was freed and allowed to take custody of him.

Before long it seemed the train was pulling into the station. The Trio shared looks of trepidation. They didn't see Neville looking at them curiously, the young man confused why his friends looked nervous about leaving the train. Harry picked up Hedwig's cage and carried his feathered friend along to the carriages drawn by the Thestrals. He pet one of the beasts briefly before climbing inside with his friends.

Looking across the way he saw Draco sitting with his Slytherin friends Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini in another carriage. Once he was sure others were looking, Harry caught Draco's eyes and they nodded politely to each other. Almost immediately Harry heard students around them start whispering and he saw a few of the more bold ones point directly at Draco and himself.

"Uh…Harry…what was that? With Draco, I mean? It almost looked like you two were not glaring at each other." While Neville certainly sounded confused there was a pinch of amusement in his voice.

"Oh, yeah…so…," Hermione opened her mouth to answer for Harry again, like she had with the ring, but Harry subtly shook his head at her. Harry leaned close to Neville and spoke quietly. "Draco reached out to me a few weeks ago. He indicated that…tides were turning on the other side of the war. Said he wanted to call a truce for this year as things tried to straighten themselves out on Voldemort's end." Neville's eyes bugged out of his head and his mouth dropped open.

"You…you think V-Voldemort is trying to…what…surrender?" Harry grimaced and made a so-so motion with his hand.

"I don't know much, there have been whispers that Voldemort has regained his sanity." For the next bit, Harry braced himself. _This_ part he had covered with Tom. "Unfortunately, Dumbledore seems to be…losing his recently. He's…I don't know…reckless? I just have a bad feeling that even if Voldemort surrendered and called an end to the war, Dumbledore would still insist on fighting." Harry was a little worried he was laying it on too thick, given Neville's skeptical expression.

Neville looked over at Ron and Hermione.

"You two feel the same way? And are good with this supposed truce with Malfoy?" Ron and Hermione both nodded, grimacing to match Harry.

"Yeah, Dumbledore has been going off the deep end all summer. He almost forced Harry to stay with the Dursleys instead of letting him go with Sirius! Sirius had to threaten the Headmaster with legalities to get him to drop the issue," Ron explained in a hushed voice. Hermione nodded along with a stern expression on her face.

"That's right. Ron and Harry kept me as updated on the meetings as they could but from what I heard Professor Dumbledore keeps sending people on risky missions even though no Dark activity was ever confirmed or later found. As for Malfoy…we were very skeptical at first, but part of Malfoy's plan for a truce involved reaching out to each of us and offering an apology. We corresponded some after that initial contact and…well…we're not really friends but we certainly won't be antagonizing each other this year. Malfoy also said he'd talk to his house mates and try to get them to back off of us as well." Harry marveled at Hermione's ability to make their slight truths sound so convincing.

Neville, though still looking highly skeptical, slowly nodded.

"Alright. Well, don't blame me if I still keep my eyes peeled and wand ready in case Malfoy decides to change his mind. As for the Headmaster…that's hard to hear although a part of me isn't surprised. He didn't do anything to stop Umbridge from hurting us. I know Gran is more than fed up with him. I honestly think she lost faith in him the night our parents were attacked." Harry nodded, knowing Neville meant that fateful Halloween night so long ago. Though technically Neville's parents were still alive, they were as good as dead, living in comas at St. Mungo's.

The Trio encouraged Neville's train of thought and, like with the train ride, they were quickly delivered to their destinations. The Gryffindor's got changed and headed into the Great Hall. Their eyes immediately went to the Head Table and saw two things:

A new professor was present and Dumbledore was smiling _directly at them_. It was disconcerting to say the least. They turned their attention away from him and observed the other professors. They smiled at the incoming students but unlike usual, they completely ignored the Headmaster, even when he leaned over to speak to them. If they had to, they seemed to give clipped answers to the man. This sight was more encouraging than the first two.

The Trio dodged questions all through the wait and Neville helped divert people's curiosity. Finally, the First Years were sorted and Dumbledore stood to give his opening address. Once he passed through all of the usual warnings, he made some atypical announcements.

"Now, you may notice a new face at the table and the absence of a familiar one. Professor Snape decided that his life was headed in a different direction and he has left our school to pursue those goals. We wish him wisdom and guidance in his…endeavors." Though he didn't blatantly say it, it was clear to those who were observant that the Headmaster was insinuating that Snape had left due to a disagreement of views with Dumbledore, again implying he left the school to aid the Dark side in the war. The Headmaster held up his hands to stave off the cries of dismay from the Slytherin table and the cheers from the others. "As such, Professor Slughorn has graciously come out of retirement to fill in as Potions Professor and Slytherin's Head of House. And seeing as there is no _additional_ new face, you may wonder who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Here Albus paused for dramatic effect and Harry had to hold back and eye roll even as he awaited the announcement with trepidation. "Given the dark times we now face, I felt that as a mentor and leader at both this school and in the war efforts, _I_ shall be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

As students around them cheered, Ron, Hermione and Harry shared frightened looks. It seemed Dumbledore was doing everything in his power to make it impossible for them to avoid him. They all thought the same thing in that moment: _things just got a lot more complicated._

* * *

 **Just so you know: I did do a bit of Harry Potter research for this chapter. From all I could find, Voldemort was _NOT AWARE_ that his ring horcrux was a Deathly Hallow. He did not know what it did, as such Harry has no clue. I'm also playing this as, the owner of the ring has to be aware of and consciously use the power of ****the ring to call forth the dead. This way Harry can fiddle with the ring without his parents showing up randomly.**

 **Please review! (Remember: no nasty comment! If you hate it then don't read any further and let it be!)**


	39. Chapter 39

Fickle Fate: Chapter 39

 **Firstly, to the reviewer taking their MCATs at the end of the month: GOOD LUCK! YOU GOT THIS!**

 **Secondly, hello! Adult life is hectic but I'm actually enjoying myself so far. Let's see how long it lasts. I am still exhausted. My eye twitches as I write this. :)**

 ****Also, it was a long time ago, so you might not remember but SEVERUS QUIT HOGWARTS. That is all.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Duels and Points**

First day of classes came and Harry was understandably nervous. He and his friends had spent the night planning how to begin the search for the horcrux…

 _Hermione made the important point that they should search under the assumption that Dumbledore had already determined that the horcrux was in the Room of Requirement. As such, their best bet was to try and search when the Headmaster was occupied. Their first thought was to search when the man was meant to be teaching other sections of Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, they all had classes and it would be too conspicuous if all of them kept missing class on account of being sick. It was Ron who suggested they try and elicit the aid of Professor McGonagall._

 _"I mean…she does know we're searching for something really important right? And that we need to find it before Dumbledore?" Harry stared at the fire as he nodded._

 _"Yeah, Severus explained everything to her, at least…that was the impression I got from what he told me." Harry glanced over when his friends stayed quiet. They looked concerned and Hermione looked ready to argue against telling McGonagall. Harry shook his head. "'Mione, it'll be fine. We need help from someone in authority here. We were only able to get away with things before because Dumbledore allowed it. Now he's going to be trying to stop us at every turn. It would help us a lot to have a faculty member on our side and assisting." Harry briefly checked in with Tom through their connection to confirm their plan with him._

 _The Dark Lord had made it very clear that the ring was to be used for emergencies only. However, he had also later insisted that Harry contact him through their connection at any time should he need something._

 _Once Tom gave the okay on their plan to Harry and Harry saw that his friends agreed (if a bit reluctantly on Hermione's part), they called it settled. They contacted Draco through the galleon to let him know a time for them to meet up and chat to discuss the plan. Harry finally turned his eyes from the fireplace and saw Neville watching them curiously._

 _They had erected a privacy ward around them so ensure no one eavesdropped, and luckily no one had come up to bother them. The Trio had a bit of a reputation at that point, known for their intense discussions by the fire place. Most students learned to leave them be, though sometimes curious first years came up to gawk at them. Neville however, wasn't one to stare. Harry quirked a small smile at the other boy in hopes of allaying any concerns he might have. Neville smiled back but didn't take his full attention off of the three of them. Harry looked back at his friends._

 _"If this starts taking longer than we think it should…we should bring Neville into the loop." Harry waited out the protests from his friends and ignored the misgivings coming across his connection with Voldemort. "Guys, it's just a suggestion. He's a good friend and he's proven he wants to be involved in ending the war. Plus…he's getting suspicious of us already. If we don't want him potentially ruining our plans or getting hurt, he should be told_ something _, at least." Ron sighed and ran his hand through his bright red hair._

 _"Let's at least get things worked out on our end before potentially bringing in other people, Mate." Harry conceded his friend's point and their conversation slowly died. They spent the rest of the evening staring sullenly into the fire._

Back in the present Harry and his friends were heading into Charms class with Professor Flitwick. They shared it with Ravenclaws which made it a calm class. Harry tried to pay attention to what their small teacher was saying but he couldn't stop thinking about Defense Against the Dark Arts which was next. With each passing moment, Harry's dread grew. At one point Professor Flitwick tapped on Harry's desk lightly with his wand to turn Harry's attention back to his Charms work.

"Don't need you exploding your desk, Mr. Potter. Please concentrate." Harry muttered an apology and focussed back on his work. He didn't see the Professor give him a sympathetic look, as the teacher knew what the boy was worried about. All of the professors were concerned over what the Headmaster had planned by taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. When he reluctantly dismissed his class, he saw Harry and his friends share a distressed look before they slowly gathered their things to leave.

Minerva hadn't shared all of the details with the staff, but she had shared enough for them to know that the Headmaster was taking things too far and young Mr. Potter and his friends had a mission to accomplish to help end the war from both sides. There had been a lot of protest from the staff at leaving children to take care of it but Minerva had managed to convince them to let it be. The more normal they acted the easier the children's job would be and the quicker the war could end. Minerva did concede that the faculty could run interference should the need arise, however their main priority was to keep up appearances and be ready to protect the students at any moment.

Meanwhile Harry and his friends were on their way towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom when they ran into Draco in the hallway. All four of them could _feel_ everyone around them tensing and Harry didn't bother holding back from rolling his eyes.

"Draco," he said cordially. Draco inclined his head.

"Harry." Draco had a few fellow Slytherins next to him and they watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. It spoke to Draco's influence that they didn't comment. They all walked into the room together and Harry immediately knew Dumbledore's plan.

As usual Gryffindor and Slytherin were put together, and this was a class where, like Potions, that combination could be volatile if pushed. The desks were arranged on opposite sides of the classroom, half and half, in a manner that would have the students facing each other. Dumbledore stood in the middle, leaning back against his desk, and smiled at them. It was clear that the natural inclination would be for the Slytherins to sit on one side and the Gryffindors to sit on the other.

Draco and Harry glanced at each other and came to a decision. They would play this little game for now. Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him to one side and Draco did the same with his friends to the opposite side. The rest of the students followed the natural flow of things from there. Harry could feel the Headmaster's eyes on him the entire time and knew the old man was suspicious.

Dumbledore didn't start talking until everyone was in their seats. As he spoke he walked up and down the aisle he had created between the two groups of desks.

"Good morning, Everyone. I hope you are already enjoying being back at Hogwarts. I know for many of you it has become a home away from home." Naturally, the Headmaster glanced at Harry as he said this. "Now, it might seem odd to have me as your professor but I feel it truly is for the best." Here he grew somber. "I am sad to say that your education in Defense Against the Dark Arts has been somewhat lacking these past few years. This is particularly significant given the political climate we currently find ourselves in. It is very troubling to me that children such as yourselves must be taught this class for mere survival, and yet, here we are: in a world threatened daily by the Dark Lord."

Some students were staring at the professor with their mouths hanging open. Never before had a professor actually addressed or even really _acknowledged_ the Dark Lord, especially a DADA professor. Harry glanced around and saw some Gryffindors nodding along and some Slytherins barely hiding their sneers.

"I want this class to remedy the gaps in your education and prepare you for the real world, one where you truly must defend yourself against the dark arts. Our time together this first week will mostly be for my benefit. You will be dueling each other, in pairs I select, so that I may see the general skill level of the class. Then I will base my future lessons upon that. If you all would get out your wands, we will begin." Dumbledore waited for the shifting around to stop as everyone brought out their wands.

Excited whispers bounced across the class room. Harry shared a look with his friends and they braced themselves for what was to come. It was clear that Dumbledore's plan was to breed further animosity between the two houses.

"Before we begin, some ground rules: no name calling or verbal abuse of any sort during the dueling, cast NO spells that can seriously maim or injure your opponent, duel until I call time, and most importantly, have fun!" Dumbledore smiled at them and the Gryffindors were bouncing in their seats with their eagerness to begin.

The Headmaster made a show of looking about the room before settling on the first pair to duel.

"Ms. Brown and Ms. Parkinson, if you would be our first to duel." Harry eyed the Headmaster and wondered what the plan was. A million different scenarios flew through Harry's head and he could feel his mind working himself up into a frenzy.

 _"Stay calm, Harry. Panicking will only make it worse. Breathe,"_ came Voldemort's voice. It jolted Harry enough that he staved off a panic attack. While it helped him stop panicking, Harry couldn't keep himself from scowling a little.

 _"I can't have you distracting me by popping in and out of my head. Don't contact me unless I contact you first."_ With that Harry turned his full attention back to the class. For a brief moment he thought he might have been a bit too harsh, but he frankly didn't care that much. Tom needed to learn about boundaries and Harry had an important job to do that he didn't need Tom micromanaging in his head.

Surprisingly, when Harry focussed back on the class, Lavender bested Pansy with a well placed tripping jinx and disarming spell. The Slytherin girl scowled and stomped back to her seat while Lavender giggled and skipped back to hers.

"Wonderful job, Ladies. Five points to Gryffindor for a successful first duel." Harry groaned internally and thought, _And so it begins._ He wondered how many points Gryffindor would have at the end of the class and how many Slytherin will have lost. What a perfect way to quickly get the houses to hate each other even more, and on the first day too.

The duels continued, with most of them being won by Gryffindors. Harry was proud of that, knowing that a lot of them had been in DA the previous year. They didn't need Dumbledore's favoritism to win. The Headmaster continued with awarding a Gryffindor five points if they won the duel, which was a fair few of them. A Slytherin only got a single point if they cast a barely legal spell on a Gryffindor. The conditioning was almost obscene and Harry barely stopped himself from looking around to see if any one else noticed it. He was sure his friends did, and a few of the Slytherins. For all that he loved his house, he knew that they were more prone to believing all they did was good and right and the Headmaster was the epitome of the scales of justice.

Harry felt a deep pit of guilt and shame in his chest knowing that he had been the same way not long ago.

Finally, the duels were getting down to the final few pairs. Neville went up against Theodore Nott and just scraped out a win. Ron was pitted against Blaise Zabini and though the duel lasted longer than the others, Ron won without breaking a sweat. Hermione went against Crabbe who was particularly vicious. She got a few cuts and the breath knocked out of her but she pinned Crabbe to the floor and cracked a magical whip above his face, so close that it scared him enough to make him drop his wand and scream like a little girl.

And so, of course, Dumbledore left Harry and Draco for last. The tension in the room had been building since the members of the Golden Trio started their duels. Now, the Headmaster was pitting the school's two biggest rivals (and arguably the student body's symbols of the Light and Dark sides of the war) against each other. Harry could almost see his classmates wondering what Dumbledore was thinking.

The two students stood up and got into the proper dueling positions.

"Remember, Boys, fight fair and no name calling. Begin!" While Dumbledore had been blathering Draco and Harry had a quick, silent conversation with their expressions. They decided to duel properly, without cruelty but keep their more advanced skills under wraps. It would be best to keep Dumbledore underestimating their abilities though they'd be giving away their change in relationship with each other.

Harry sent the first spell and Draco easily shielded against it. When the Slytherin quickly sent a return volley of stunners back to back Harry couldn't help but grin a little. He remembered their dueling sessions with Severus only a few weeks ago where the Potions Master taught them quick succession firing. The Gryffindor cast a leg-yanking jinx that nearly pulled Draco off his feet, but the blond was able to stay steady and send a counter. Harry dodged the spell and cast a modified blasting curse, one meant to send the opponent flying but not cause serious damage.

He was impressed when Draco managed to soften his landing and then send a hair pulling spell at Harry before he hit the ground. The two boys went back and forth for quite a while. Suddenly, a shield was cast between the two, jolting them from their duel. They turned to the Headmaster in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Boys, but I must cut this duel short. The lunch bell rang and while this was quite an entertaining duel, I'm sure we are all hungry." Draco and Harry nodded their understanding and went to gather their things like everyone else.

"Nice duel, Draco," Harry called, surprising those around him. Draco sent a similar compliment back and left for lunch with his friends. Neville came up to Harry and started grilling him on some of the spells he used but stopped when the Headmaster's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Longbottom, but I would like to have a word with Mr. Potter if you don't mind." Neville was confused but nodded and left. Hermione and Ron looked on in concern.

"Uh, Professor, didn't you say it was lunch time," Ron tried to stop Harry from being held back and alone with Dumbledore but the Headmaster insisted they run along. With great reluctance Hermione and Ron left, though Harry knew they'd be waiting right outside the door. Dumbledore ushered Harry into a chair in front of his desk and smiled at him. Harry knew it was fake and could feel the old man trying to probe at his mind. The young man braced himself for anything.

"I must say, Harry, that was some impressive fighting. You did very well against Mr. Malfoy and showed good sportsmanship." Harry narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster in suspicion.

"Thank you, Sir," he eventually replied. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and continued to smile at him, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Oh come now, Harry, no need to act so suspicious. I am not going to fish for information from you. I'm not going to interrogate you. I'm not even angry with you." Harry really had no idea where the old man was going with this and he could _feel_ Tom's concern growing in the back of his mind. He wasn't surprised the Dark Lord was still watching through their connection.

"You're not, Sir," Harry asked. Dumbledore shook his head and leaned forward.

"No, Harry, I'm not angry. In fact… _I'm proud of you, my boy._ "

* * *

 **OOOOOO! You might want to review previous chapters if you don't understand the cliff hanger! I wonder what'll happen next...stay tuned!**

 **Please review!**


	40. Chapter 40

Fickle Fate: Chapter 40

 **Guys I got my second set of MCAT scores back and I raised my score by 4 points! I may have cried a little (happy tears!)! XD Anyway, sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. :)**

 **I actually had to re-write this chapter. I had it mostly done when I came home from work to find my computer's hard drive just crashed. Had to erase the hard drive and reinstall my computer. I had a backup disc though (!)... with everything but this chapter on it...-_- Anyway, it got done and now my computer is running smoothly and I am writing my stories on google docs so I don't have to worry about whether I've backed up my documents recently.**

 **Save lives, use backup drives.**

 ****Also, it was a long time ago, so you might not remember but SEVERUS QUIT HOGWARTS. That is all.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Rampage**

Hermione ripped her fingers through her hair in frustration as Ron fumed beside her. When the redhead muttered something angrily under his breath and drew out his wand Hermione grabbed his wrist.

"Ron, no! We can't! We could just make it worse!" Ron growled.

"Hermione, worse could be happening right now! We have to get in there." The witch dug her fingernails into Ron's skin until he hissed and dropped his wand.

"No. We'll wait. He has to let Harry out at some point. I'll message Draco just in case we need help. Now just...try to stay calm." Hermione ignored Ron's angry huffing and pulled out her galleon, sending the blond Slytherin a message.

Meanwhile, Draco had simply been walking along to the Great Hall with his friends Theo and Blaise. He had dropped Crabbe and Goyle when he couldn't stand the utter lack of competent conversation. It also helped that Theo and Blaise were more willing to listen to him regarding the Dark Lord's new plan for ending the war. Crabbe and Goyle preferred the idea of violence, but Theo and Blaise were more open to the idea of swifter and gentler peace. They had naturally been very skeptical at first (though honestly they still were) however, for now, they were willing to "play along" if you will and see where it led them. They could only hope it would be the end of the war, with them on the winning side.

"That class was utter drivel. Sure, the dueling was fun to do and watch but Dumbledore wasn't even trying to hide his favoritism. I can definitely see his recent loss of sanity like you were saying, Draco. Draco?" Blaise stopped in confusion when his friend didn't answer him. Blaise and Theo turned to see the blond wizard stopped in the middle of the hallway staring down at a coin, his brows furrowed in concern. Suddenly, Draco turned on his heel and started walking quickly back towards the DADA classroom.

"Draco, where are you going?" Draco didn't stop and soon his friends were speeding up to match his pace.

"I've got to go back. Dumbledore kept Harry after class and he hasn't come out yet."

"You're worried he's going to mess with Potter's mind again, control his loyalties again," Theo stated, not asked. Draco had explained a lot to them the previous evening about the new state of the war and the Dark Lord's new plans. A lot of the Dark Slytherins weren't happy but begrudgingly agreed to go along with Draco's orders, knowing Lucius was part of the Inner Circle. Theo and Blaise were the least skeptical out of everyone but that wasn't saying much. As of that point, Theo wasn't sure why they were running to help Potter out of a potentially dangerous situation. However, a small voice in his head told him that it was because he had hope that Potter really was on their side now and would bring the war to a swift, less bloody end than the Headmaster would.

Draco answered Theo with only a sharp nod. He didn't like the idea of the Headmaster being alone with Harry. While his godfather had cleared Harry's mind of the original manipulative spell-work that Dumbledore had put in Harry's subconscious, it didn't mean that the old man couldn't simply replace it. A small voice in his head told him that they never should have come back to Hogwarts.

They finally made it back to the right hallway and when they turned the corner Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione was trying to physically hold Ron back from blasting the door to the classroom down. The last thing Draco wanted to do was to debase himself by trying to physically pull the two apart. Luckily, Hermione noticed him first before he had to resort to such barbaric means.

"Draco! Thanks for coming. We've been-" Whatever Hermione was going to say next was cut off by the classroom door suddenly opening. Draco saw Hermione's mouth drop open and her eyes widen in fear before he actually saw Harry.

Harry stumbled out of the classroom, pale as a ghost, sweating and clutching the strap of his bookbag like a lifeline.

"Harry? Mate? What happened," Ron called out softly. Harry flinched at the noise and then his knees gave out. Ron only just managed to catch him. Draco rushed in to help support Harry and between the two of them, they more or less kept Harry on his feet.

Theo peeked into the classroom and narrowed his eyes in suspicion when he saw that the room was empty. Blaise was more focussed on the fact that Harry looked like he was about to hurl.

"He needs to get to the Hospital Wing. Now," Blaise said. No one argued. While Ron and Draco supported Harry (each taking an arm and putting it over their shoulders), Theo ran ahead to warn Madam Pomfrey and Hermione ran off to get Professor McGonagall. Blaise led the charge, ignoring any odd looks they received on the way. Luckily most everyone was at lunch in the Great Hall already.

Harry, all the while, was focussed on not puking and trying to stay awake. His head hurt so bad he was sure it would kill him. It was a bit dramatic but he couldn't help but think death would be worse in that moment. After what felt like decades, they made it to the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey was ushering them to get Harry up on his usual bed.

"Mr. Nott couldn't offer me much, but hopefully one of you can tell me what happened to Mr. Potter," she said. Before anyone could tell her that they knew about as much as Theo did, the large doors opened, letting Professor McGonagall in. Hermione was on her heels and still trying to explain all that she knew about the situation.

"Poppy, anything yet," McGonagall asked the moment she stopped at Harry's bedside. Theo and Blaise stepped back to allow those who actually cared about Potter closer.

"Just a moment, Minerva." The Mediwitch raised her wand to run a quick scan on the young wizard. She frowned at the results. "It says he has a severe migraine and some magical exhaustion. I don't know what's caused it though." Poppy turned on her heel and went to grab some potions for the boy.

Minerva leaned forward and just stopped herself from reaching to run her fingers through Harry's hair. Now that Dumbledore's influence was gone from her mind she felt more motherly towards all of her students, but Harry especially.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger was able to give me a brief explanation and a theory as to what happened but we still don't know fully. Can you tell us?" Harry groaned and turned towards the voice of his professor. As seems to be the theme for the day, however, the scene was once more interrupted by another arrival. The double doors opened once more but everyone ignored it. Draco glanced towards the sound of oncoming footsteps and furrowed his brow in confusion and surprise.

"Father?" Lucius gave his son a small smile and inclined his head at the Deputy Headmistress when she looked at him.

"Hello, Son. I thought I'd come by and see how the first day of classes was progressing for everyone. On a hunch, I decided to stop by here first. I had hoped that I'd find the Hospital Wing empty." The students who spent the summer with the Dark Lord knew that Tom probably saw everything through his connection with Harry and sent Lucius to check on him. Thankfully, the students moved out of the way for Lord Malfoy to be able to sit on Harry's bedside.

Harry, with great effort, opened his eyes enough to look at Lucius. Despite doing his best to hold it in, Harry couldn't contain a whimper of pain. He reached out blindly with his hand until he grabbed ahold of Lucius's wrist. The blond aristocrat was surprised at the strong grip, given the boy's state.

"Headmaster...said...proud of me...was scared but...didn't work. He...got...mad and...hurt...mind...made me...see things...had to...block...couldn't let...see. _Hurts_ ," the last word was a heart wrenching rasp and Lucius clutched Harry's hand tightly. Those around him who understood the significance of Dumbledore using the "proud of you" phrase hissed in anger, but Lucius ignored them

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Lucius said quietly. "I need to check and make sure he didn't replace any of his spells." Harry whimpered again and made to shake his head no. "I know you don't want me to, Harry, but I need to make sure. I will be as gentle as I can, I promise. Then Madam Pomfrey will give you some potions to make you feel better. Now, look into my eyes, Harry." It took some coaxing but eventually the young Gryffindor looked into Lucius's eyes.

Now, Lucius was an accomplished Occlumens, though nowhere near the level of Severus or Dumbledore. He was, however, skilled enough to be able to slip into Harry's mind and look for any traces of the Old Fool's magic. While he searched he did what he could to soothe the pain on Harry's mind. When he finally pulled out, he was disgusted at the Headmaster and Harry was shaking from the pain. Once he stood from the bed, Poppy rushed forward and got Harry to choke down a few potions.

"The Headmaster appears to have attempted to reinstate a controlling spell he implanted in Mr. Potter's mind many years ago. However, when that failed he repeatedly attacked Harry's mental shields and brought up every painful memory he could find, forcing the boy to relive them. Harry's mental shields are in tatters and he expended a lot of energy trying to fight the Headmaster off," Lucius quietly explained to Minerva and Poppy, while the boy's friends gathered around him. The Mediwitch growled.

"How dare he! He could have killed the boy if he wasn't careful. It is no wonder Harry is in such significant pain," Poppy spat. "Is there no way for your side to speed up the process, Lucius? He can't be trusted around the students." Lucius raised a brow at the nurse, surprised at her insistence. "I only "joined" Dumbledore's side to protect the children that were getting hurt in the first war. Now, Voldemort's the sane one and the Headmaster is hurting children. I want this war done before any more of them get hurt." Poppy narrowed her eyes at Lord Malfoy. "You surprise me though. I seem to recall you having a particular distaste for Mr. Potter and his friends. I even heard a rumor that you tried to AK the boy his second year."

Lucius winced at the reminder of that incident. He tried to forget about it but in his alone time or when looking at Harry struggling to breathe through pain he always remembered.

"Yes, well...I would like to say it was all do to the Dark Lord's insanity, having to play a part to keep my family safe and the Headmaster's unfortunate magical influence. I'm sorry to say it was all of that plus some of my own anger at the war continuing. It was always a small voice in my head that said if Mr. Potter didn't exist then the war would end and everything would be better. That day during Mr. Potter's second year, I was up in the Headmaster's office where he showed me Tom Riddle's diary and I felt the slightest push against my mind. I thought nothing of it and didn't think anything more until I got home to my manor and realized what I had done. I like to believe it was all his doing, making me attack a twelve year old boy like that, but...unfortunately, he only added more fuel to a fire already burning." Lucius felt the familiar shame well up in his chest but pushed it down. "Mr. Potter and I had a long conversation about it over the summer. We have both apologized and decided to start over. I want you to understand, Madam, that protecting the children and ending the war are my goals as well."

The Mediwitch studied Lucius's face for a few more moments before nodding sharply and turning to walk back to her patient. Minerva looked at the small gaggle of students gathered around Harry's bedside. After a bit of fussing and arguing, Madam Pomfrey had enlarged the bed so Ron and Hermione could join Harry. Harry laid his head down in Hermione's lap and she was gently carding her fingers through his hair. Ron sat up straight and held Hermione close, looking ready to protect his friends at a moments notice.

"This war cannot end soon enough," Minerva muttered before turning back to Lucius. "You will do all you can to end it swiftly and I will do all I can to protect them. I'd use your current position on the Board to ensure Dumbledore doesn't overstep his bounds again, Mr. Malfoy." Lucius smirked at the older woman, liking the bite in her tone and nodded.

"Indeed. But first, a little more ammunition." Lucius approached Blaise and Theo and got their account of their first DADA class with the Headmaster. The Malfoy Patriarch was clearly unimpressed with what he was hearing and thanked the boys for their time. Casting one last glance at Harry and his son, intrigued at how Draco...lingered, he left the Hospital Wing.

Lucius took his time walking along the halls of Hogwarts, taking in student interactions and ghosts floating about. It brought back memories.

"Mr. Malfoy?" The blond wizard stopped, surprised at hearing his name called, and then even more surprised at discovering who called his name.

"Young Mr. Longbottom. How may I help you?" Neville seemed distinctly uncomfortable but determined.

"I saw you...coming from the Hospital Wing. I also saw Hermione and Ron...and Draco taking Harry there. I-is he okay?" Lucius frowned again at the thought of Harry laid out in pain before turning his attention back to the young Gryffindor in front of him.

"Unfortunately he is not feeling well. I understand your Defense Against the Dark Arts class was rather...odd today?" Neville grimaced.

"Yes, Sir. It...Professor Dumbledore had Gryffindors duel with Slytherins and clearly...favored the Gryffindors. I mean...it happens a lot...I've noticed, but this seemed...rather extreme." Lucius hummed in encouragement. "I...look I don't know what happened but the Headmaster insisted on talking to Harry alone after class. Harry and his friends clearly weren't happy about it but there wasn't much any of us could do." Lucius inclined his head in understanding.

"Of course." He paused. "I must say, Young Man, I am rather surprised that you approached me. I know our history is rather...discordant." Neville huffed and a bitter expression came over his face.

"Yeah well...I don't really know what to think anymore, but Harry seems to have called a truce with Draco. Then you show up and you check on Harry and are actually talking to me politely. I just want to make sure that things don't get covered up and people stop getting hurt." Lucius gave the boy a small smile.

"An admirable goal. Well, thank you for the information, Mr. Longbottom. You were quite helpful. It seems I need to have a chat with the Headmaster." With that, Lucius turned away and went on the hunt, like a shark sensing blood in the water. The smirk that came over his face was enough to chill even the ghosts to the core.

* * *

 **My original thought HAD BEEN to have Harry try to fake being under Dumbledore's control. However, the more I thought about it the more I figured a) Harry's not that good a lier or actor and b) it would make things 20x's more complicated than it already is. So...this chapter happened.**

 **Please review!**


	41. Chapter 41

Fickle Fate: Chapter 41

 **I am exhausted and I just can't seem to get these characters to cooperate and move the plot along! Oh well...here's another chapter.**

 ****Also, it was a long time ago, so you might not remember but SEVERUS QUIT HOGWARTS. That is all.**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Triangles...Because _That_ Makes Sense...**

Harry missed the second day of classes because his head was still in so much pain. He could barely stand and Madam Pomfrey insisted that he stay for at least another day. The headache potions weren't working as well as they usually did since Harry's magic was simultaneously trying to rebuild his mental shields and get back up to normal levels. This left him even more tired and with his magic working counter to the potion which was trying to relax everything in his mind.

Of course outside of the Hospital Wing, the rumor mill was running rampant. A lot of Gryffindors were spreading the rumor that it was Draco Malfoy's fault, that he cursed Harry during their duel in DADA class. All of the lions were shocked when Neville Longbottom kept telling them off for spreading the rumor, saying it was a clean duel. He didn't offer any more information than that knowing it would just make them completely disregard him...not that they weren't doing that already.

Hermione, Ron and Draco had been forced to return to their regular classes. They didn't have to exaggerate their sadness, though Lucius had suggested to them before he left that they play it up for the masses. However, like Neville, they kept mum on the true circumstances of Harry's pain. If they started pointing fingers at the Headmaster now it would drive more potential supporters away towards Dumbledore. Their best bet would be to let the old man dig his own grave and then explain his faults and wrong doings when the masses were more amenable to the idea.

Hermione and Ron were moping at breakfast the third day with Neville sitting across from them trying to cheer them up. The two of them didn't know that Neville had spoken to Lucius Malfoy but they appreciated his efforts to be a good friend nonetheless. Ginny would periodically glare at them then turn her nose up if they glanced over towards her. They were all startled when Luna Lovegood suddenly sat down beside Neville.

"He'll be alright. You'll find things come to an end much faster when you don't anticipate the reward." Hermione offered the odd girl a small smile.

"Thanks for the kind words, Luna. Did you...did you have a good summer?" Luna smiled back and nodded her head.

"Oh yes. Daddy and I went on a month long trip to South America to try and find the elusive Crumpelong. We didn't find it but we found a lot of Muggle mosquitoes which were just as fascinating." The three Gryffindors simply nodded along, like they knew what she was talking about. "We also had a long talk about loyalty." That got their attention.

"Oh? That's an interesting and particular topic, Loon- I mean, Luna," Ron stumbled through his words but got out the full sentence nonetheless.

"Mmmm, yes. We agreed that the best kind of loyalty is loyalty earned rather than bought." She leaned forward a few of her necklaces swinging about. Hermione narrowed her eyes at a particularly odd symbol hanging from a simple gold chain. "You see we also talked a lot about triangles." She lost them again and the Gryffindors blinked at her.

"Triangles, Luna," Neville asked, hoping the Ravenclaw would make sense soon. He fancied the witch but she was right odd sometimes.

"Well of course. This war doesn't have just two sides, but three. We've chosen the third side of the triangle." Ron's brows furrowed together and he scratched his head, completely confused. Hermione however, frowned as she considered the blonde's words.

"Do you mean Harry, Luna?" Luna smiled happily and nodded.

"Oh yes. You see, everyone thinks of this war as having two sides: Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. But really, it's a triangle: Dumbledore, the Dark Lord and Harry. We've chosen Harry, even if Harry's side favors one of the others, because we know that Harry will succeed in the end and bring our world to proper peace instead of tyrannical rule." Hermione couldn't help but smile at the blonde Ravenclaw.

"That's really nice, Luna, and I'm sure Harry will appreciate your support." Luna brightened a bit more and suddenly threaded her arms through Neville's, causing the boy to glow bright red.

"It wasn't a hard choice. Harry was my first friend! Oh, and, Neville, I like you too. Would you join me for the first Hogsmeade weekend?" Neville sputtered and Ron laughed out loud. Hermione giggled at Neville's shock. She saw Draco raise a brow at them and gestured to Neville and Luna. The blond Slytherin smirked before turning back to his friends.

A sudden quiet fell over the Great Hall and they turned to see what caught everyone's attention. Harry was slowly walking in. He still looked paler than normal but he smiled at his friends, Draco included. Hermione and Ron quickly made space for him at the table and Hermione started piling food on his plate.

"Did Madam Pomfrey actually clear you, Mate? You still look like death." Harry huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Gee thanks, Ron," he said before scooping some eggs into his mouth. After he swallowed, "I managed to convince her that it would make me more exhausted later if I keep missing class and had to make up all of that work. I'm under orders to take it easy though, and she sent notes to all the teachers so they know I'm supposed to use as little magic as possible for the rest of the week," Harry grumbled.

"Well, Harry, Luna here was just telling us that she...picked a side of the triangle," Hermione offered weakly while gesturing for Luna to explain.

"Oh yes," the blonde said. "You see, Daddy and I have decided that we choose your side in the war, not the Light or Dark. You've been made into such a prominent figure in this whole thing that certain people don't realize that you are your own side," she explained. Harry's expression slowly morphed from confused to a fond smile.

"Thanks, Luna. Oh and tell your dad thanks for always being kind to me in his paper. I really appreciate not being called crazy by at least one news source." Luna nodded and promised she would pass along his sentiment. "Now, there's some thing I need to speak with you both about. If you could join us down by the lake after classes today, that'd be great. I'll explain our...important plans." Neville and Luna agreed right away, Neville being especially eager to learn what was going on. Hermione and Ron meanwhile shot Harry distressed looks.

"Come on, Ron, 'Mione. We've got to get to class." Harry shoveled the last of his food into his mouth and got up. His two friends scrambled to follow him, Ron steadying him when he swayed a bit. Once they were in the hallway, they started frantically whispering.

"Harry, are you serious? We're just going to tell them," Hermione questioned with severe doubt coloring her voice.

"Mate, did you think this through? I mean, more people knowing isn't necessarily a good thing." Ron awkwardly phrased his words as he tried not to come across as insulting and piss Harry off.

"Guys, I didn't spend all of my time in the Hospital Wing sleeping. I chatted with Tom for a while about this. It was his suggestion." Given his exhaustion, he was a little grumpy that his friends just assumed he'd make such a big decision without consulting someone. However, after a moment's thought, he conceded that consulting adults on his actions wasn't, until recently, much of a habit for him.

"Alright," Hermione reluctantly conceded.

Soon enough, they arrived at their first class and thankfully it, and the following class, went smoothly. His professors that morning didn't make a big scene about him not being able to perform the spells in class and instead had him practice the movements and then offered to work with him on the actual spell casting later. Unfortunately, all too soon it was time for DADA again.

Harry tried to walk into the room with confidence but he couldn't help but feel some trepidation. He could admit to himself that he was scared and unsure. Seeing the rather grumpy look on Dumbledore's face when he entered certainly didn't help. The fact that the desks weren't set up for dueling this time only set a small part of Harry's racing mind at ease. When everyone was seated Dumbledore stood and gave the class a tight smile.

"Seeing as how one of your classmates cannot use magic today, putting us at an uneven number for spell practice, we shall be going through a lecture I have prepared. I would highly recommend you pay attention. There will be a quiz at the end of class." A collective groan rippled throughout the classroom and a couple of students even cast glares Harry's way. Both surprisingly and not so surprisingly, none of those glares came from Slytherins. Harry was more than used to the fickleness of his house's affections and ignored it well.

The rest of class was boring but also tense. Dumbledore couldn't seem to help himself from sending the slightest of glares towards Harry and his friends and was short with any students who asked or answered questions. The students had clearly picked up on the Headmaster's bad mood and were unsure what to do with the ticking time bomb. Miraculously, no one managed to set him off and by the time the quiz was passed around no one said a word in protest. Everyone finished the quiz, passed it forward and quickly packed up their things when they were dismissed. Harry felt he couldn't be blamed for the way he more or less bolted from the classroom, running from any slight chance of being kept after class with the Headmaster.

Hermione and Ron weren't far behind and they made their way to the Great Hall in a tight formation. Lunch was a tense affair, the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins still feeling a bit off and soon enough everyone was heading to their afternoon classes.

"You know it really helps when your opponent digs their own grave," came Draco's voice from Harry's left. The Slytherin had caught up to the "Golden Trio" and muttered into Harry's ear.

"His own grave? You think? It seemed more like he did a good job of making people mad at me," Harry said, casting his eyes about. Draco shook his head in reply.

"Actually, from the whispers already going about the halls, Dumbledore isn't coming off as quite...right, shall we say. It's been suggested that his age is getting to him. Sure there were a couple mutterings that you were doing this for attention but most seem convinced the old man is losing it. There's even talk that he's deliberately out to get you, given his odd behavior today, further propelling the idea that his mind is addleing." Harry's face pulled into a disbelieving scrunch.

"You wouldn't happen to have done anything to help those rumors along, would you?" Draco kept looking ahead as he walked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling a little fondly at the blond. Before they parted ways, Harry told Draco what he planned to do with Neville and Luna. The Gryffindor was relieved when the other boy didn't question it and just promised to be there. After that, classes went smoothly and soon enough, Harry and his friends were making their way down to the lake.

Draco wasn't far behind and only a few minutes later, all four were joined by Neville and Luna. Neville hesitated for a moment when he saw Draco, but Luna had no such qualms and plopped herself down on the ground right next to the Slytherin.

"Sit with us, Neville. Draco is on Harry's side of the war too." The plant enthusiast raised a brow at Luna's wording, but slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"How are you, Harry? You seemed a bit wrung out by the end of lunch." Harry gave Neville a small smile.

"I'm alright. Tired. Also a bit tense, given the atmosphere today." Neville nodded his understanding.

"Oh, Harry, you must tell us what you are looking for! It really is very exciting," Luna suddenly chimed in. Draco raised a brow at the girl.

"How did she know?" Hermione smiled softly at Luna, having (very reluctantly) accepted Luna's seeming clairvoyance, before answering Draco.

"We're not quite sure, but we've learned to just go with it. Luna just seems to...know things." Draco shook his head in disbelief but didn't question it.

"Alright, look," Ron suddenly said. Harry furrowed his brows in confusion, unsure what Ron was apparently bracing himself for. "I know that Harry decided to tell you guys everything and that he got permission to do so, but I need to be sure. Luna, you already gave us a little speech about...triangles...at breakfast. Neville, I need to know what you really want here. Who's side are you on?" Neville frowned as he considered what his answer would be.

"I want to know what is going on. Clearly something big happened this summer, big enough to switch Harry's loyalties. Something in this war has shifted and I want to know what. Malfoy is being nice. Dumbledore seems borderline cruel and like he's deliberately trying to make things worse at school. The Dark Lord has been quiet all summer, except for that time he dropped Peter Pettigrew off at the Ministry of Magic and Sirius got cleared. Gran has lost any and all faith in Dumbledore...I can't tell you what side I'm on because I don't know. All I know is that I want this war to end with the least amount of violence. I want justice for the people hurt and a competent Ministry. I want...a lot of things, but I'll settle for knowing what's going on...and if I can help." Harry narrowed his eyes at Neville and the other Gryffindor looked him square in the eye. Harry couldn't help but be impressed at how far Neville had come into his own.

With a look to Ron, Hermione and Draco, and finding them all in agreement, Harry went about telling Neville and Luna everything.

* * *

 **Now I've added even more characters to maneuver around this already complex plot! Why do I keep trying to make this harder on myself?**

 **Please review!**


	42. Chapter 42

Fickle Fate: Chapter 42

 **I decided to switch my character focus for this chapter and see if that helped dislodge some of my writers block. It seemed to help some! Hope this chapter helps bring the plot back in to focus. :) Also, thank you all for your lovely, kind reviews! I appreciate all of your reviews [even the more constructive ones ;)].**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Reclaiming**

Severus fell into the first available armchair he saw with a tired sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to will his blooming headache away.

"Are you alright, Severus?" The Potions Master used all of his remaining energy to not visibly startle at Remus Lupin's voice. He opened his eyes and saw that the werewolf was seated in the far corner of the room; evidently Severus had interrupted the man's reading.

"Are you re-reading Potter's diary," Severus asked instead of answering the man's question. Remus clearly knew what he was doing but didn't point it out. He shrugged and gave Snape a small smile while shutting the book.

"I can't seem to stop. It just...brings him back to me a bit, I suppose. He was a brother to me. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if you found a journal Lily kept." Snape didn't grace that with a response and turned his eyes to the empty fireplace. He had been working almost non-stop since the children went back to school, partly because it was work that needed to be done but also partly to distract himself from his son and godson being in the clutches of the crazy old fool.

"Moony! Harry left Padfoot here! We have to get it to him otherwise he won't sleep!" Sirius Black had burst into the room waving about the stuffed black dog that Harry had loved as a baby.* Black's eyes were slightly glazed over and Remus and Severus knew the man was having one of his bad days. It was also apparent when they spotted his hands shaking.

"Don't worry, Sirius. We'll get Padfoot to Harry. It'll be fine." Sirius shook his head though and turned his frantic eyes to Severus.

"You know, Snape. Harry needs Padfoot. He does. He couldn't sleep without him as a baby; he'd be up all night crying if he didn't have Padfoot." Sirius clutched the toy to his chest, hugging it tightly. Snape gave a quiet sigh.

"Black, Harry will be fine. We'll make sure he gets Padfoot and he'll sleep the night away. Now, perhaps you should get some rest as well." Remus nodded along with what Severus was saying and walked towards his best friend. The werewolf took a gentle hold of Sirius's elbows and started guiding him out of the room.

"That's right, Sirius. We'll get Padfoot to Harry. Why don't we head to your room now so you can sleep, hmmm? I know you didn't sleep well last night." Sirius moved with Remus reluctantly, but then stopped suddenly and whimpered.

"But what if Prongslet doesn't come back? I left James and he didn't come back. I left Lily and she didn't come back. I left you and, and you didn't come back. I left Harry...and I didn't come back." Remus had to blink back tears and struggled to loosen the tightness in his throat.

"Harry will come back, Sirius. We'll make sure of it," came Snape's voice. He wouldn't admit that Sirius's words got to him a bit. Luckily, his words seemed to help Sirius calm down some and Remus was able to shuffle him out of the room and towards his bedroom. Once they were gone, Severus conjured himself some Firewhiskey trying not to imagine all of the scenarios of Harry not coming back in his head. Snape growled when he was interrupted once more, not bothering to see who the intruder was.

Tom raised a brow at his Potions Master, though didn't comment. He knew it had been a rough day for the man: sifting through loyal followers, brewing potions, planning a Ministry take over and having to hear second hand about the attack and slow recovery of his son. The Dark Lord took a seat and conjured himself some wine. After a few moments of silence, Tom spoke.

"Nagini is moping about the Manor. I think she misses Harry...or at least someone else to talk to." Snape snorted into his Firewhiskey.

"Why am I not surprised? That boy has a way of making people, and animals apparently, love him." Tom tilted his head in agreement.

"That boy is also your son, and I know you are worried about him almost constantly at this point, Severus." Snape swirled his alcohol around in his glass, not drinking it just yet.

"I am. It is not a feeling I am familiar with. Logically, I know I've felt it before. I've seen the memories that Dumbledore stole from me, but I still feel like an audience member watching a play rather than an invested character in those moments." Severus finally took a drink and then turned the conversation off of feelings. "The first Wizengamot meeting is in two days. Is Black ready?" Tom sighed heavily.

"I am trusting that he is. At times, he seems perfectly capable. Other times, he seems lacking. The Mind Healer visits are helping but it is a slow recovery." Severus was still unused to his Lord being so frank with him, but didn't let it show.

"I have to agree. Just moments before you entered he came in here, frantic and unfocussed, because Harry forgot his stuffed dog." Tom rubbed his temple.

"I will mention it to Harry and get a message from him to Black." The Dark Lord side-eyed Severus. "I could do the same for you, if you wish. It might do you some good, Severus." The Potions Master couldn't contain a frustrated sound.

"Why don't you continuously watch him while he's there? I know you can. You just choose not to!" Voldemort let the man have his moment to rant, understanding his frustration.

"You can reason through that perfectly well, Severus. Not only would I be a distraction to Harry, potentially putting him in danger, but I have my own work to do here. If I don't do my job on my end to finish this, we are unnecessarily putting all the children in danger." Tom narrowed his eyes at the Potions Master. "I hate this just as much as you do, but this war needs to end for all of our sakes." A knock at the door made both men turn. "Come in," Tom called.

Rodolphus came in and bowed his head slightly at both of them. Severus rolled his eyes and took a gulp of alcohol. Holding up a stack of parchment, Rodolphus spoke.

"I have a great deal to report, My Lord. I think what Charlie, Bill and I found will intrigue you." Tom's spirits lifted as he saw the pleased smirk on his follower's face.

"Then by all means, continue."

* * *

Sirius sat stiffly in his chair, eyes darting about the slowly filling room. He didn't react to the various expressions made upon seeing him beyond raising an uninterested eyebrow. Though he hated most of his family, he learned quite a bit from them.

The first Wizengamot meeting was set to start in fifteen minutes. Under Tom and Lucius's advice, Sirius had arrived extra early to be sure to get an eyeful of everyone who walked through the door and their reactions to his presence. As they expected, it was a mixed bag. Some seemed pleased and others barely repressed a sneer of disdain. When Lucius entered he merely nodded his head in respect before taking a seat across the room. It wouldn't do to announce loyalties so blatantly by sitting right next to each other.

While Sirius managed to keep a straight face through most of the influx of people, he couldn't help the slight uptick at the corner of his mouth when Dumbledore walked in and actually dropped his jaw in shock. It was only for a moment but it was enough to relay Dumbledore's true feelings on the matter to most of the room's occupants. An audible wave of whispers rippled through the room.

Once Albus took his seat, Amelia Bones banged her gavel three times.

"As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I call this meeting into order. Before any topics are brought forth for voting, we shall take census of the seats." Albus smiled tightly throughout Amelia's introduction. He had fought to be reinstated as Chief Warlock but after that debacle of a raid on Malfoy's Manor over the summer, Fudge refused to even take his fire calls. "First, the Black Seats. Lord Sirius Black, have you attended this meeting as an official claim on the Black Family Seats?" Sirius stood and held his head high.

"I, Lord Sirius Black, do claim the Black Family Seats." The "Dark" members of the Wizengamot had to hide their satisfaction as Dumbledore's eye twitched. He had been manipulating the council while Sirius was away, managing to maneuver at least half of the Black seats for his gain. Amelia Bones nodded in reply to Sirius's claim.

"The council acknowledges your claim. Are there any objections?" A number of "Light" members were a bit surprised when Lucius Malfoy did not object, as he had been trying to grab the Black seats for the past decade or so, claiming that since his wife was a Black they should go to him. However, Dumbledore always managed to out-maneuver him. Now, though, Lucius simply sat back and let Sirius Black reclaim his family seats.

The same song and dance continued for the next thirty minutes, and all of the seat assignments passed without objection. Some members were clearly trying not to doze off, more than ready to move on. Of course, that was when things started to get interesting.

"Now, the Potter Seats. Albus Dumbledore, shall you continue claiming the Potter Seats?" Dumbledore stood and nodded with that annoying smile of his.

"Yes, Madam Bones. I do continue my claim on the Potter Seats as Harry Potter's magical guardian." As usual Madam Bones called for any objections. Dumbledore was already moving to sit down when Sirius stood.

"I, Lord Sirius Black, do object to Albus Dumbledore holding the Potter Seats." Suddenly a room full of snoring witches and wizards came alive with tension and surprise.

"On what grounds do you base your objections, Lord Black?" Amelia knew perfectly well why Sirius was attempting to claim the seats and wasn't surprised at his objection. She was certainly curious to see how it all played out though.

"Given my reinstatement into society and my reclamation of my Lordship, I am now the _rightful, full_ guardian of my godson and the only living heir of James Potter, Harry Potter, severing Albus Dumbledore's claims over the young man. I thereby do claim the Potter Seats as Harry James Potter's proxy through my rights as his full guardian." Sirius always hated the extreme formality of meetings such as this, but in this case, the satisfaction of taking things back from Dumbledore's grasp was enough to make the formal declarations glide off his tongue.

"Very well," Amelia replied. "If there are no counterclaims to Lord Black's objection then the Potter Seats will be transferred from Albus Dumbledore to Lord Sirius Black under the rightful guardianship ruling." The room was silent with both shock and satisfaction. Sirius swore he could hear Dumbledore grinding his teeth in anger.

Again, the meeting continued, this time with more tension. It was clear now that there would be a significant shift in power in the council. However, there was great confusion amongst many of the "Light" members. As far as they knew, Sirius Black was a supporter of the Light. Yet Dumbledore was fuming that Black was taking seats from him. If they were still going to be used to support the side of the Light, it didn't make sense for the Headmaster to be so angry.

"Now that we have completed the census of the family seats, we only have the census of the Founders' seats. Headmaster Dumbledore, do you continue to claim the seats of all four Founders?" Dumbledore stood once more, though this time his smile was much tighter, and made his formal claim on the seats. No one was expecting Sirius Black to stand once more to object.

"I, Lord Sirius Black, do object to Albus Dumbledore holding the Founder Seats, with particular objection on the Gryffindor Seats." Sirius just held back a smirk at the old man who was trying to kill him with his eyes. Amelia didn't respond immediately, as surprised as the others, but quickly composed herself and asked for Sirius's justification. No one knew what to think when Sirius pulled a rather substantial stack of documents from beneath his chair.

"I had the goblins at Gringotts do a full workup and inheritance check on my ward, Harry James Potter, documented here," he said, laying a hand on the large stack of paperwork. "They found that James Potter was a descendent of Godric Gryffindor, and was in fact the only one left alive before his passing. As James Potter's last living heir, Harry James Potter is therefore the only living descendent of Godric Gryffindor, and as his proxy, I, Lord Sirius Black, do claim the Gryffindor seats." Sirius almost glowed with satisfaction and smugness.

Dumbledore meanwhile absolutely fumed. He knew there was nothing he could do. If he tried to claim that that couldn't be the case as Harry Potter was not actually James Potter's son, he'd have far too much explaining to do. The only reason any of this could legally be possible was if James and Lily went through with making James Harry's godfather and performing the Heir Claiming Ritual. This was the exact reason he had tried to prevent them from doing so (not that he told them that)! Now he had lost a lot of seats, and as such, a lot of voting power in the Wizengamot. Amelia cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Very well. If there are no further objections…?" When no one else spoke up (for how were they truly to object to such a claim with evidence to back it up), she continued. "Then the Gryffindor Seats will be transferred from Albus Dumbledore to Lord Sirius Black under the rightful guardianship ruling." She couldn't help herself and ended up breaking formality for just a moment. "Anymore surprises today, Lord Black?" Sirius laughed innocently.

"Oh no, Chief Warlock Bones. I think that's enough surprises for this meeting." With those parting words, Sirius sent a subtle smirk to the Headmaster and sat down. Finally, the meeting truly began.

* * *

 **Oooo, some actual movement in plot and the war! That only took...forever XD. Thanks for sticking with me this long! Much more to come! :)**

 ***Just in case people have forgotten, since honestly even to me this was FOREVER ago, Sirius found an old stuffed dog that Harry loved as a baby and used that to track him to the Lestrange Manor. Don't want anyone to be confused (trust me I barely remembered it and then was like, "Oh! I could throw that back in there!")! :)**

 **Please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

Fickle Fate: Chapter 43

 **Hello all! I hope any US East Coast readers are staying safe from Hurricane Florence. I also wanted to clarify something for a reviewer: since Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I am saying in this story that he can claim the seats of the school's Founders as long as a descendant of any of the Founders does not come forth to claim the seats. (I wouldn't be shocked if Dumbledore deliberately made sure they DIDN'T come forward if you know what I mean).**

 ***Warnings: Angst. Graphic descriptions of injuries, some foul language.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't have to apply for so many scholarships to get through school.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Wrong Move**

"Hey, Harry, where's Hedwig?" Harry popped his head up to look at Neville. He had accompanied the other boy to the Owlery as they had been in the midst of a discussion on the Herbology homework and didn't want to interrupt it. Harry frowned as he answered.

"We, meaning the adults, decided it would be safer for her to stay at Lestrange Manor while I'm here. They were concerned Dumbledore might hurt her trying to intercept any letters she'd bring me or take from me. Neither Hedwig nor I were happy about it but I eventually understood it was better this way. She's probably still grumpy though," he said as he absentmindedly rubbed the place on his thumb she had bit him when he finally agreed that she should stay away while he was at school.

"Alright. Guess that makes sense. How are you doing on the DADA homework?" Harry winced at the question even as Neville grimaced while asking it.

Harry had been highly amused and smug after hearing about the first Wizengamot meeting from Voldemort. He and his friends had practically cheered when he relayed the information to them. Unfortunately, they were stupid enough to believe that happiness would last. The following Monday of classes proved just how upset Dumbledore really was. He took out his anger and frustration on his classes with piles of homework and hellaciously difficult pop quizzes on subjects they hadn't covered yet.

The meeting was two weeks ago and the Headmaster still hadn't let up. Another rather unfortunate occurrence was that the first Wizengamot meeting was during the school day, so Harry and his friends couldn't take advantage of the missing Headmaster to do some Horcrux searching. It also didn't help that since the meeting the Headmaster decided to enforce a very strict curfew in the effort of "improving and maintaining student health" including alarms on the house entrances to catch anyone trying to sneak out. If Dumbledore could be more extreme or blatant in his attempts to stop anyone from seeking out the Horcrux, Harry didn't know how.

"It's...coming. I don't know what he wants, though I'm not sure he'd care at this point if I turn in the best essay of my life. He keeps marking me down for ridiculous things. At this rate, Potions with Slughorn will be my best class." Neville snorts in bitter amusement at Harry's assessment of the situation.

"I can't believe this, but I actually agree with you. Without Professor Snape glaring at me the whole class I actually kind of enjoy Potions...a little. I mean, it's definitely easier with that book you found, Harry." Harry smirked at Neville's words. In his worrying over the first days of class and exhaustion from his recovery of Albus's magical assault, Harry had forgotten his potions textbook in his dorm. Professor Slughorn, a kindly if odd man, told him to grab one from the back. Harry had rolled his eyes as the only one available was a beat up old thing that looked as if it was one strong sigh from falling apart.

He was shocked at seeing the cramped notes and altered instructions all throughout the book. The young Gryffindor quickly found just how helpful the notes were. While he didn't really need the help, since his lessons with Snape had greatly improved his skill, he used it to try and help Neville learn some useful techniques. Harry still snickered when he recalled everyone's faces when he found out just who the "Halfblood Prince" was (he also blushed a little bit when he remembered what else happened)...

 _"I still don't think you should use that book, Harry. It's not right." Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione's scolding tone, while Ron scoffed, Draco ignored her and Neville looked incredulous. Luna was in Charms class and they were in the back of the library trying to finish homework._

 _"Honestly, 'Mione, it's not cheating. Besides, I don't actually need the help. The only reason I used the alternate notes was because I knew they wouldn't change the potion too drastically but would make ingredient preparation easier." Neville nodded along as he skimmed the notes with Harry._

 _"Yeah, Hermione...now hush. I'm trying to learn." Hermione gaped at the other boy while Draco snickered and Ron barked out a laugh. Draco flicked his grey eyes up to meet Harry's green ones._

 _"Have you asked him yet?" Harry shook his head, knowing Draco meant Tom._

 _"You think it's Tom's book, Harry," Ron asked. The red head was looking for any distraction from his Charms essay. His best friend shrugged._

 _"I mean, it makes sense. Only he would be so pretentious as to call himself the Halfblood Prince." Harry fully believed that, however a small voice in his head (not Tom's!) told him that the Dark Lord would have avoided mentioning his blood status in his made up title._

 _"Well, go on then," Ron urged. Harry held back a sigh and did as bid. He felt Tom's surprise and immediate concern as he opened up their connection. As he mentally conversed with the Dark Lord his friends watched his facial expressions shift. Suddenly, Harry threw his head back and laughed so hard he scared everyone within a twenty foot radius. The next moment, he dropped his head to the table and his shoulders shook with barely suppressed laughter._

 _"I-it's-" Harry took a few breaths to calm himself. "It's Dad's." Harry was so wrapped up in the moment he didn't even realize what he'd said. Everyone blinked at him in confusion because a) why was he laughing so hard and b) they still didn't know who he was talking about._

 _"Ummm...Harry...it's who's," Hermione asked. Harry froze as he finally realized what came out of his mouth. He cleared his throat, laughter dying pretty quickly._

 _"Uh, well, it's Professor Snape's old textbook, you know, from when he was in school. I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. He's got some brilliant insults written into the margins on almost every page." His friends were kind enough to move past his slip of the tongue without further comment and instead focussed on the fact that Harry had somehow managed to find an old, annotated Potions textbook used by their ex-Potions professor._

 _"Huh," Neville suddenly piped up. "I think this is the first time I've ever actually learned anything from Professor Snape." That startled a laugh out of Harry which eventually led to all of them laughing until they were asked to leave by Madam Pince..._

"Harry?" Neville's cautious voice broke Harry from his musing and he looked over at his friend.

"Yeah, Neville?" The plant enthusiast seemed hesitant to ask whatever he really wanted to ask, so Harry braced himself for a potentially uncomfortable question.

"Did...did V-Voldemort kill Bellatrix?" Harry looked down at the ground biting the inside of his cheek. When he had explained everything to Luna and Neville weeks ago he had sort of...glossed over Draco's family drama and the subsequent consequences. For one, it was Draco's story to tell and for another...he didn't want to hurt Neville. The boy was a good friend and despite growing in his confidence, Harry knew that any mention of his parents or the crazed woman who tortured them still really hurt him.

"Yeah, Neville. He did," Harry finally admitted quietly. Neville suddenly stopped, his fists clenched at his sides.

"How did you just forgive him, Harry? After everything he's done? To you? To me? To everyone?" The raven haired boy let out a tired sigh.

"I don't really know if I have, Neville. I just...after getting a clearer picture of everything and seeing the Headmaster as he really is, I guess my focus has simply shifted. I see Dumbledore as the greater evil, as the real person behind all of this. My...my connection to Voldemort gives me this glimpse into his mind and his emotions. We can't hide from each other. I know it's hard to believe but he feels guilt and shame for all of this. He's also working to end the war while Dumbledore is trying to keep it going for his own gain." Harry shrugged, unsure what else to say, words drying up in his throat. "I'm...I'm sorry if that's, if it's not a good enough answer." Neville didn't say anything in response, only nodded stiffly, still tense.

The awkward moment was broken by Luna running up to them, Theo Nott on her tail. Harry's heart dropped before she even opened her mouth. She finally reached them and panted out the words,

"Ron is in the Hospital Wing." Harry didn't think he'd ever run so fast in his life. He didn't register his friends and Theo running behind him. He didn't register students jumping out of his way as he barreled down the hallways. He didn't register Madam Pomfrey's irritation at him suddenly bursting through the doors of her Hospital Wing.

All he registered was Hermione crying into Ron's hair, Blaise looking very pale...Draco scowling and viciously scrubbing blood off of his shaking hands. He walked over to the bed Ron was in, walking past Professor Flitwick who had his wand drawn on a small group of angry looking students. Harry reached out, touching Hermione's shoulder. The girl popped up and then threw her arms around Harry, now crying into his chest; meanwhile Harry almost threw up when he saw the damage done to his best friend.

Ron's left arm was flayed open. Harry could see the bone in places. Half of Ron's face was nothing but bruises, one eye swollen shut. His flesh was torn around his ribs as well, the skin singed at the edge from the heat of whatever spell that hit him. Ron's normally pale skin was stained red in numerous places and a bubble charm circled his mouth and nose, providing him with pure oxygen.

"Is he going to be alright," came Harry's shaky voice, suddenly breaking the silence in the room.

"I've cleaned the wounds and have them covered in a stasis charm while Professor Slughorn brews some essence of dittany. He shouldn't be long now," Madam Pomfrey offered. "Mr. Weasley should heal just fine but the damage around his chest will require he rest for a few days and keep breathing pure oxygen during that time. The spells were thrown so violently it bruised his lung." Harry clung to Hermione tighter as the young witch sobbed harder. What had originally started as numbness in Harry's chest quickly turned into a fierce rage. He flicked his eyes up to Draco.

" _What happened_ ," he bit out. Draco finally looked up at Harry and visibly tried to compose himself.

"We were debating Quidditch on our way to the Great Hall. Ron realized he forgot a book in the library and suddenly ran off to grab it. I...I hesitated to follow him, thinking he'd only be a few moments. He took longer than I expected so I started to follow him and heard shouting. I ran around the corner and found those four casting curse after curse at him," Draco glared daggers at the group Flitwick was guarding: three seventh year Slytherins and one sixth year Ravenclaw boy. "Ron held his own for a while but they outnumbered him. They had somehow blocked off the hallway and I couldn't get through. I sent my patronus off to find help and it came back with Flitwick. He was able to break down the shield and stunned them all." Harry's wild magic was bubbling under his skin, demanding to be released. He only just kept a lid on it as he turned his own glare at the attackers.

"Have they said why," Neville suddenly growled. He had an arm around Luna and appeared to be barely holding the reins on his own anger.

"No they haven't," Theo drawled. "Flitwick is guarding them until the Aurors get here." Harry didn't even realize he was walking towards them until his magic was pushing Flitwick back and creating a bubble around himself and the four assailants. The other students who had been glaring at him suddenly paled at his display of power. Harry crouched in front of them absentmindedly twirling his wand in his fingers like he'd seen Tom do a hundred times.

"You want to explain to me what the hell you were thinking trying to murder my best friend?" There was a coldness in Harry's voice that he wasn't entirely sure came from him. Harry ignored his friends and the staff trying to break down his bubble. For a few moments none of the boys answered him and then one of the Slytherins spoke up.

"We did it for Our Lord! We wanted to strike a blow at the Light side! We knew we couldn't touch you but everyone else?" The boy's smirk was an ugly thing. "Everyone else is fair game."

"Even though Draco Malfoy passed along information regarding the new direction of your side of the war? Even though he told you that the Dark Lord has officially declared me and my friends off limits? That no one was supposed to provoke any violence amongst the houses?" Harry's seemingly calm tone and knowledge shook the student's confidence for a moment before the boy scowled at him.

"That little prick only said that to make the rest of us back off so he could take the glory for himself!" The other assailants who had yet to say anything hesitantly nodded in agreement. "We all know his dad is only Voldemort's right hand man because he sucks his-"

" _I would NOT finish that sentence if I were you._ " The words that came out of Harry's mouth were not his own. The attackers reared back as Harry's body leaned in close, his eyes flashing from green to red. " _I personally gave those orders to Draco Malfoy and he, unlike you four, obeys. I know you four imbeciles did not come up with this plan on your own. Who helped you?_ " One of the Slytherin boys pissed himself as they realized that it wasn't Harry speaking to them but the Dark Lord.

"We don't know," the Ravenclaw suddenly blurted out. He whimpered when Harry's red eyes turned to him. "W-we were complaining about Malfoy's fake orders and...and then we got a note saying they could help us. They just gave us a date and a signal to look for so we'd know when we could...attack." Harry's face twisted into a scowl.

" _And do you still have the note?_ " The Ravenclaw shook his head frantically, tears starting to well in his eyes.

"N-no! It-it burst into flames as soon as we finished r-reading it." After that the boy dissolved in a puddle of tears, unable to string any more coherent words together.

" _You boys made a giant mistake. Luckily for you, I've found a new faith in our justice system. You will go to Azkaban instead of getting a personal visit from me._ " Harry's body leaned even closer to the point he could smell their sweat. " _But if you tell anyone of this moment, of your talk with me here today, you will hear from me._" He waited for them to frantically nod their understanding before standing up.

With a sudden jerk in his mind Harry was back in control, his hands shaking. He dropped the magical shield around them and, without a word, walked back over to Ron's bedside.

" _Tom_ ," Harry said through their connection. " _While I appreciate you making them piss their pants...NEVER do that again_." Harry sensed a silent nod of agreement from the Dark Lord. Blaise leaned forward as Harry sat on Ron's bed opposite of Hermione.

"What the bloody hell was _that_ , Potter," he hissed. Harry flicked his eyes up and around and noted a mixture of impressed, nervous and confused expressions from his friends and the staff. He turned his attention back to Ron, taking hold of the hand Hermione didn't already have.

"Nothing," he muttered. "We were just having a little chat."

* * *

 **That was intense...honestly teared up writing this chapter. Now, I will be going into a little rant/PSA in this next bit. Feel free to skip it.**

 **A couple weeks ago I received a review that rubbed me the wrong way. Now, I try not to get defensive over critical comments. Everyone can have their opinion and like what they like and all that jazz. However, this review said that "they preferred Harry's character before his friends showed up" and that "when Harry's friends showed up and he was no longer alone he turned into a useless, little boy." This second part particularly bothered me because it indicates to me that some people have forgotten that in this period of his life Harry Potter IS A CHILD. Children should NOT HAVE to do even a quarter of the things Harry has to do out of necessity. I wanted to make Harry's friends have a bigger role in this story than I normally do so that Harry could actually have a support system. This story also includes actual adults who care for and do all they can to take on the true responsibility of the war INSTEAD OF THRUSTING IT ALL ONTO CHILDREN. In this story, my idea is that part of Harry's story arc is his realization that he is not alone and can depend on others (ranging from his friends to actually competent adults). Keep in mind that Harry is not used to being able to act like the child he is and as such may vacillate between coming across as too young or too old for his age. So this is where my PSA comes in: it is not weakness and it does not make you useless to take advantage of the help and support others are willingly offering. It does not make you weak or useless to ASK for help. Please keep this in mind throughout your life and understand that taking on incredible responsibility alone and shunning help does not make you strong. Accepting help does not make you weak. Thank you.**

 **Now, I am also not saying all of this because I believe the reviewer was being malicious or because they actually meant it the way I interpreted it. I simply felt that their review was a good point of discussion to elaborate on and address. Hopefully this chapter showed the reviewer that Harry can still be a bit of a badass even with his friends by his side. And don't worry, there is more badass Harry to come. ;)**

 **Please don't be afraid to honestly review! I promise I won't turn every review into a lecture! Love you guys and stay safe this hurricane season! 3**


	44. Chapter 44

Fickle Fate: Chapter 44

 **Hello! Firstly, thank you for such wonderful, heartfelt feedback! Your words really made me smile today. :) Secondly, I hope my fans in Australia get some rain soon! A reviewer requested I send some of the hurricane rain I experienced down to them, so I hope you are getting the much needed moisture. Thirdly, occasionally I re-read my own stories for fun (Honestly, I started writing fanfiction because I wanted to read stories like what I wrote). I tried (emphasis on TRIED) to re-read my first ever White Collar story and had to stop it was so bad! XD I'm so sorry to my readers that read that travesty of terrible characterization and poor grammar. Oh how I've grown!**

 **FINALLY: This chapter is a DIRECT CONTINUATION of the last one, as will the next chapter be. So, if need be, please return to the previous chapter as a refresher. Anyway, on to the new chapter! :)**

 ***Warnings: Angst. Graphic descriptions of injuries, some foul language.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Redheads Unite!**

 _"What the bloody hell was that, Potter," he hissed. Harry flicked his eyes up and around and noted a mixture of impressed, nervous and confused expressions from his friends and the staff. He turned his attention back to Ron, taking hold of the hand Hermione didn't already have._

 _"Nothing," he muttered. "We were just having a little chat."_

"And," Draco questioned. "Did you learn anything useful?" In the background, Flitwick cast a silent cleaning charm on the boy who had pissed himself and watched Mr. Potter, in awe of his magical strength and slight fear given the intensity he witnessed through the shield.

"They assumed you were lying about the new change in plans, that you were trying to make everyone else back off so you could take the glory for yourself," Harry said, not concerned with Flitwick and Pomfrey hearing. He had been assured by many that they were well against Dumbledore and simply cared about protecting the students. "Since Voldemort already called dibs on me they figured anyone else was fair game," Harry growled. He turned a glare on the assailants and all the boys whimpered, drawing back from his gaze. "However, someone helped them. Someone knew they weren't happy about the change in plans and offered them help, said they'd get a sign when it was time. They don't know who sent the note." Harry met everyone's eyes as he said the last bit.

It was clear what he was thinking: Dumbledore.

"Y-you really think he would-" Neville gestured to Ron's body on the bed, still trying to wrap his head around it. It was one thing to be told the Headmaster was evil and willing to do terrible things. It was another to actually witness the severity of it. Hermione scoffed harshly.

"I wouldn't put _anything_ past that vile piece of-" Hermione cut herself off when she heard loud footsteps approaching. A lot of footsteps.

The doors to the Hospital Wing flew open and a bunch of people flooded in. Dumbledore was at the front of the pack, his expression solemn but his eyes...his eyes flicked over Harry and the young boy fumed and the victory glimmering there.

"Filius, what has happened," Albus asked, for now ignoring the children. He had three grim faced Aurors behind him. Luckily, none of them were Shacklebolt or Mad Eye. However, one of them was Tonks and she cast concerned looks over at the group.

Minerva, who had come in right behind them, ignored the four students bound on the floor and instead flew over to Ron's bed. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, when she saw the damage done to the young Mr. Weasley.

"Oh! The poor boy! Poppy?" Pomfrey quietly related to her what she had already told Ron's friends and they all watched as Minerva paled. "How did this happen," she asked, desperation and anger lacing her voice.

"Seems it was a school boy spat, Minerva," Dumbledore said calmly, finally coming over. The Headmaster visibly started when Minerva spun around and violently jabbed him in the chest with a finger.

"Don't you dare try and belittle this, Albus! That was not a simple _spat_! They tried to murder Mr. Weasley!" Dumbledore regained his composure and held his arms up to try and placate his Deputy Headmistress. He didn't see that his previous comment even gained him incredulous looks from the Aurors behind him. Rabastan had done an excellent job in the past couple of weeks clearing out the Auror department of the corrupt or simply unjust.

"I doubt they truly intended to _murder_ Mr. Weasley. There is a war going on, Minerva. The students are high strung; tempers flare easily. It was a heat of the moment situation." Harry stood from his spot slowly and glared at the Headmaster.

"This wasn't spur of the moment, Professor. This was _planned_. They had help." Dumbledore's eyebrow twitched up, almost daring Harry to accuse him of being said help.

"Help, Mr. Potter? What do you know," one of the Aurors asked. Harry turned his attention to the man who spoke. He was honestly asking instead of being accusatory which Harry would appreciate...later.

"Ask them about the note they received offering to help them attack one of us," Harry gestured to himself and his friends. "According to them they'd been thinking about it for a while when some _anonymous_ help was offered." Two of the Aurors suddenly turned their full attention to questioning the boys while Tonks came over to the kids.

She reached out to ruffle Harry's hair, but it gentled into more of a comforting pet as she tugged her fingers through his hair instead.

"The rest of you are okay, though," she asked eyeing all of the students up. They nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, Tonks. Thanks," Harry said quietly. The female Auror was one of the few people on Dumbledore's side that he never felt was fake in her affection for him. She seemed to genuinely care, was completely unaware of what Dumbledore did that summer, and was more concerned about protecting them.

"Professor," Tonk softly called to Minerva. "Perhaps you should contact his family. I'm assuming he needs to spend some time away from school, resting?" Tonks addressed her question to Poppy and the Mediwitch nodded.

"That would be for the best." McGonagall seemed to shake herself, trying to get her focus back, and then nodded as well.

"Yes, yes, I'll do that immediately." She was prevented in leaving by the Headmaster, however.

"No need to concern yourself, Minerva. I've contacted Mr. Weasley's parents and they should be here soon to take him home." Hermione gasped and Harry stepped forward, his eyes frantic.

"No! They can't-" He didn't know what else to say. How could he explain that Ron's parents were the worst people to look after him?

"My boy, what are you concerned about? Wouldn't Ronald heal much swifter under the hand of his Mother and Father? You wouldn't want him to get worse, would you?" Harry felt utter fear grip his heart as he heard the underlying threat (doused in a heavy dose of condescension) in Albus's tone. Everyone else in the immediate vicinity did too. It was enough to make Tonks scrunch up her nose in confusion, trying to grasp whether she had really heard what she thought she had.

"I- no, but-" Harry was grasping at straws. He couldn't find the words to say what he needed to. His eyes darted grantically about the room, seeking help.

" _Tom, I don't know what to do_ ," he called desperately across his connection. As Dumbledore's lips started to curl up in triumph, two more people burst into the room.

"Where's my brother!?" Harry's knees felt like they'd collapse with the sheer amount of relief that went through him. Bill Weasley hurried across the room, Charlie right on his heels. Like everyone else, they froze upon seeing Ron's state. Harry moved out of the way to let Charlie be at Ron's side. "Dear Merlin…" Bill breathed out.

"He'll be alright," Poppy assured him. "Professor Slughorn is brewing Essence of Dittany as we speak." Bill nodded absentmindedly.

"And the...the oxygen mask…" he asked quietly. Poppy grimaced.

"The severity of the spell casting bruised his lung. Again, it should heal fine with continual oxygen and significant rest." It took a moment for the words to sink in but eventually Bill cleared his throat and nodded.

"Alright. Yeah, we'll...we'll take care of him," Bill finally got out past his tight throat. Dumbledore, however, shook his head with a kindly smile.

"As noble as that is, Bill, I'm afraid I can only release your brother into his parents' custody." Charlie felt Harry tense next to him and gently grabbed the boy's wrist, silently telling him to not argue, that they had a plan.

"Actually, Headmaster, you're wrong." At Dumbledore's baffled and indignant expression, Bill continued. "You can only release a student into the custody of their primary caregivers/guardians, which in most cases is their parents. However, if you had bothered to keep an eye on your records, you would have noticed that we recently took custody of our youngest siblings, Ron and Ginny." Bill's announcement was clearly a shock to _all_ of them, though Ron's friends were happy-shocked. "You see, Dad lost his job at the Ministry not too long ago and Mum's been having trouble finding any work. In addition to the... _difficult summer situations_ we were able to make a case with the Ministry and Gringotts to swiftly take custody of them while our parents figure things out." The Headmaster was clearly gobsmacked and Harry was loving every minute of it. Bill stepped closer, head held high and shoulders pulled back. "So, _Sir_ , to be clear, we will be taking our baby brother home with us while he heals from this attempt on his life. I can only hope the Hogwarts staff does a better job of protecting its students in the future."

Albus had no words and to prevent himself from exploding with rage in front of the Aurors, he merely turned and walked out. Once he was gone, Bill turned sheepish looks to the other Hogwarts staff in the room.

"Sorry, you three. I wasn't including you in that last bit. I know you're doing all you can." One of the male aurors who had been questioning the assailants came over.

"Mr. Weasley, by your statement is it safe to assume you feel that the Headmaster is not protecting the students here?" Before Bill could answer Charlie scoffed.

"Hardly. If you all knew half the stuff that my brother and his friends have dealt with here for the past _five years,_ Dumbledore would have been sacked a long time ago." All three aurors shared significant looks before Tonks moved over to help the third auror get the attackers to their feet. Meanwhile the auror that spoke turned to the students present.

"At some point any of you may be contacted regarding the events today. You may also be asked to speak to us about your experience here at Hogwarts and your general feeling of safety." Hermione sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes.

"Are you investigating the Headmaster," she asked, her voice shaky.

"The Ministry has become concerned with the institute's recent history. We merely want to ensure that the Wizarding World's children are being taken care of properly," he answered carefully. "Unfortunately, given it's a government investigation it will be a rather slow process. However, should any of you be concerned about what you witness here, please feel free to contact the Auror department." With that, he and the other aurors offered Ron's friends and family their condolences and hopes for Ron's speedy recovery, before leaving with the assailants.

"Merlin, am I glad you two showed up," Harry blurted out to Bill and Charlie once the giant pack of people left. Bill let out a bark of laughter with a slight hysterical edge to it.

"Yeah, me too," he wheezed. Bill turned to speak softly with Professor McGonagall while Charlie turned to Hermione and Harry for answers. About five minutes later, the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open for the millionth time and Professor Slughorn came scurrying in, panting and red-faced, holding a vial of opaque, yellow liquid.

"Poppy," he wheezed. "I've got it!" The Mediwitch snatched the potion from the man and everyone hurriedly got out of her way. She removed the stasis charm on Ron's flesh wounds and immediately began applying drops of the potion all over. Everyone watched with intense relief as Ron's skin quickly started to knit back together until only new, pinkish skin remained. It was like a giant smothering blanket was lifted from the room and everyone could breathe again.

"It was close for a little while there, but he will mend now. His thread has been rewoven and he'll be able to fulfill his purpose." Everyone turned their attention to the blonde Ravenclaw in the room who hadn't spoken once since they got there.

"Luna," Neville asked, clearly wanting clarification like the others.

"He has an important role to play, like many of us here, but he almost had to leave the play early. Now, his place here is certain." She frowned at everyone's concerned expressions. "Why are you still worried? I just said he'd be fine." Draco huffed and shook his head.

"You are something else, Lovegood." She smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you, Draco! And your aura is very pretty!" Harry couldn't tell if Luna deliberately said that to make them all laugh but, whether she did or not, they laughed anyway while Draco's cheeks pinked and the boy scowled.

Poppy laid a gentle hand on Bill's arm.

"Let me know as soon as he's awake. If he remains stable for a few hours after that, you two should be able to take him home today." Bill nodded in thanks and she left them be for a while.

"Filius and I will speak with his other professors and ensure they understand the situation. We'll make sure this doesn't affect his schooling," Minerva informed them. Discreetly wiping her eyes she turned and left, gesturing for the other two professors to leave with her.

And so, only a group of students and brothers were left to stand vigil. If an outsider were to look in they would see a group of warriors, a group of warriors getting a spark lit in their bellies. Harry could only think one thing: _If Dumbledore wants a war, he'll get one...and he will lose._

* * *

 **I feel the strong need to apologize for my choice in chapter title...but also #sorrynotsorry!**

 **Please review! :)**


	45. Chapter 45

Fickle Fate: Chapter 45

 **Here we are! A new chapter! I'm on the tail end of a nasty cold and am pretty wiped out so I can't think of much to say here other than please enjoy. :)**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Family**

Harry let the quiet of the room wash over him and calm him somewhat. The shaking in his hands was finally starting to settle and his magic was no longer bubbling up under his skin. Once he fully had himself under control he contacted Voldemort.

 _"Thank you...for sending Bill and Charlie. I can't imagine what would have happened if Ron's parents came to take him."_ Tom didn't answer right away but after a little while he responded.

 _"Of course. I also do not want to think about what would have happened to Mr. Weasley if his brothers didn't get there in time. Bill was actually the one to suggest he and Charlie take custody of their youngest siblings, in case something like this happened."_ Harry looked over at the oldest Weasley child and felt an intense wave of gratitude towards the cursebreaker.

 _"...What did Bill mean when he said that his dad recently lost his job at the Ministry?"_ Again, Tom didn't answer right away, but this time it was more of a hesitation than being busy.

 _"The Ministry has gotten the brilliant idea to perform audits of each of their departments, find out what work they've accomplished and found Arthur's position to be rather pointless. He was fired quickly and is now having a hard time finding work."_ Harry didn't know what to think when he felt a flash of sorrow over Mr. Weasley's sudden misfortune. He knew based on Tom's plan that he didn't actually target Mr. Weasley because he was an Order member, that he merely got the Ministry to actually look through their offices for competency. Still...there was a time when Molly and Arthur Weasley were like surrogate parents to him. This past summer flashed before his eyes and his brow furrowed as he recalled Arthur's strange deference to his wife. It just...didn't seem to fit the eccentric, Muggle-loving man. Granted, Harry never would have pegged Molly Weasley as a woman willing to attack children. _"...I can have someone visit Arthur discretely and scan him for compulsions,"_ Tom suddenly offered.

Harry perked up a bit at that and thanked him again. His green eyes flashed to Ron's pale face and whatever brief moment of cheer he felt was swept away.

 _"I already have Severus and Rodolphus prepared to help him heal, Harry. He will be okay."_ The Gryffindor mentally nodded, unable to say anything even in his mind, and ended their conversation.

"This could happen again." The quiet statement stunned the room's occupants and Harry was even more surprised that it came from Hermione.

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Neville agreed. "Dumbledore was clearly not happy that we were able to work around him. I mean, for a supposedly wise leader of the Light, he's not exactly being inconspicuous about his anger and bias." Everyone conscious nodded along with what Neville was saying.

"He's gotten complacent," Theo added. Blaise and Theo had been getting more open to interacting with Harry's small group and with this blatant attack, they were willing to take a stand as part of them. "Dumbledore's so used to having a swarm of supporters who don't question him, who take his word as law. He's been playing off of the Ministry's incompetency for years. Now, those supporters are dropping left and right and the Ministry is stepping up their game. This is probably the first time in decades that Dumbledore is losing control of the war."

"Exactly," Charlie said. "Which means the Headmaster is getting angrier and therefore unpredictable." He sent all of the students significant looks as he held his baby brother's hand. "You all are going to have to be a lot more careful from now on." Harry nodded vehemently.

"Yeah. No one goes anywhere alone anymore. We can't get caught out alone." He looked around at his friends. "Theo, Blaise, Neville, Luna, why don't you guys go back to your houses. Get ahead of any rumors and make it clear that retaliation or encouragement of this kind of behavior will not and cannot be tolerated. The world outside is already going tits up and we can't afford to have a House War in here." As he issued his orders, he got multiple nods. He met eyes with Draco, asking him silently if he would rather stay or go with his fellow Slytherins. Harry wasn't too surprised when Draco almost imperceptibly shook his head. The blond clearly felt guilty and that wouldn't dissipate until Ron woke up. "You guys will escort Luna back to Ravenclaw, then Neville to Gryffindor, then you, Theo and Blaise, can make it back to Slytherin at least in a pair. I'm not sure who we should talk to in Hufflepuff."

"I could mention it to Professor Sprout when I meet up with her to discuss my Herbology project," Neville offered.

"And I could talk to Susan Bones. We're good friends," Hermione said, voice stronger now and wiping the last few tears from her cheeks. With the plan set for now, four students left the Hospital Wing and the three left stole chairs from around the wing to be able to sit next to Ron's bedside. After a few minutes of tired silence, Bill looked over at Draco.

"Thank you, Draco. You likely saved Ron's life. We owe you a life debt now." Draco didn't say much, only gave a single sharp nod. The blond jumped when Hermione suddenly reached out and took his hand.

"Thank you, Draco," she said earnestly. He nodded again and finally managed to get words out.

"I'm just glad he's okay," he choked past his tight throat. They were all startled when a moan came from the boy laying on the hospital bed.

"Ok...I know I must be dead...just heard...the Ferret say something….nice," Ron mumbled, his voice slightly muffled because of the oxygen bubble around his mouth. Everyone was on their feet in a split second. Draco huffed out a relieved laugh.

"Well, make a note of it, because it'll never happen again, Weasel." Ron snorted and then groaned in pain. Charlie rushed off to get Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione hugged Ron as fiercely as she felt was safe. The red head struggled but managed to bring a hand up to pat her gently on the back. Then Hermione pulled back and scowled at him. "Don't you ever go off on your own again, Ronald Weasley! You could have died!" Ron rolled his eyes and looked to Harry for support, but found his best friend nodding along.

"I'm not going to argue with her, Mate. We've already decided no one goes anywhere alone from now on." Ron's brows scrunched together in skepticism but he let the matter rest for now, probably because he was too tired to argue. His pain-hazed eyes looked over in surprise as he saw his big brother coming with Madam Pomfrey on his heels.

"Charlie?" He felt something move by his right side and jolted, hissing in pain. Looking over he was shocked to find his other big brother there too. "Bill? What...why are you guys...here?"

"They are here to take you home, Mr. Weasley," Madam Pomfrey said. "You are very lucky young man." She went on to explain Ron's injuries to him so he a) understood just why he was lucky and b) understood the extreme importance of bed rest in the coming week. Ron got paler and paler as the Mediwitch spoke and Harry was afraid he was going to pass out. "Now, I want you to remain here for a couple more hours so I can be assured that you are stable enough to move. Your friends can stay as long as they allow you to rest." She gave the rest of them stern looks that had them all nodding immediately like bobble heads.

There were a few moments of awkward silence after she left. Eventually Draco cleared his throat.

"Now that I know you are alright, Weasley, I should head to my House and make sure everything is in order and everyone has received any relevant updates." He looked to Harry and Hermione and both Gryffindors nodded.

"We'll go with you and then…" Harry looked at Ron and his brothers. "Come back? If that's ok?" Bill and Charlie had no problem with that and Ron raised a threatening, if shaky, finger saying,

"You better...come back." His friends smiled at him and Hermione squeezed his hand in assurance, before all three students left the Hospital Wing. When they were gone Charlie leaned forward and kissed Ron on the forehead.

"You really scared us, Baby Brother," he muttered. Ron blinked hazy eyes up at the Dragonologist.

"Sorry," he breathed out.

"It's not your fault, Ron. We're just glad you're okay," Bill said quietly. The three brothers sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just letting the events of the day settle in their minds. They didn't look up when they heard the Hospital Wing doors open slowly, just assuming it was Ron's friends returning.

"Bill? Charlie?" Both eldest Weasleys whipped their heads up and were shocked to see Ginny standing there, eyes wide and skin pale. "What...what are you doing here," she asked quietly. Bill got his voice back first.

"I...we're here to take Ron home to rest and get better, once Madam Pomfrey clears him." Ginny seemed surprised by that but nodded her understanding.

"What are you doing here, Ginny," Charlie asked gently. Emotions flickered across her face going from anger to guilt to concern and worry.

"I just...I just heard that Ron got attacked and...I just wanted to see that he was ok." She sounded very hesitant, as though afraid her concern (or her presence) would not be welcome. Ron was frankly too exhausted to try and examine his sister's motives or argue so he left all the talking to his brothers.

"Well he's going to be okay, Gin. It looked pretty bad before but Madam Pomfrey got him healed up nicely," Bill assured her. Ginny cleared her throat nervously, her eyes flickering between all of her brothers and never staying in one place too long.

"Yeah, that's….that's good. Mum will take good care of him and then he'll be back to eating everything," she said with an awkward smile at the end. Bill and Charlie's faces contorted into awkward strained expressions and silently communicated with each other over whether to break the news to Ginny. Finally, after deciding it would be worse if she found out later, they decided to tell her the truth.

"Ginny, Mum isn't going to be taking care of Ron. We will," Bill started slowly. Ginny's face scrunched up in confusion. "Given everything that we've heard about what happened this summer and since Dad lost his job...Charlie and I decided it would be best if we took custody of you and Ron until they get things sorted." Ginny's mouth dropped open in shock, but her face quickly contorted into rage.

"How could you do that!? How could you take me away from Mum and Dad!?" She grabbed a pillow from the bed behind her and threw it at Bill. Charlie batted it out of the air and glared at his sister.

"Do _not_ throw things in here! I don't care if it's a pillow or anything else. If you hit Ron you could severely injure him right now!" Ginny was surprised at the fierce scolding from her older brother, not used to being told to rein in her anger.

"Ginny, the hope is that eventually Mum and Dad will get their heads screwed on straight and will be able to take care of you two again. However, until I see it with my own two eyes I can't trust that Mum wouldn't cause more damage and Dad wouldn't just sit back and let her," Bill said calmly but his tone firm. He felt his heart crack a little as he saw tears start to well in Ginny's eyes. "Ginny, just think to what she did this summer. I can't know that she would actually care for Ron or you properly."

"You're wrong! Mum wouldn't...she'd care. She'd be really upset and would be on a rampage trying to find whoever did this to Ron!" Charlie scoffed bitterly causing Ginny to look at him in confusion and Bill to send him a warning glare. The Dragonologist ignored both.

"Mum's head is so far up Dumbledore's arse she'd say this was for the greater good, Gin. I get that you don't see it right now, but you will understand eventually." Charlie sighed and ran a hand through Ron's hair; the younger boy leaned into the touch. Ron had been tense during the whole discussion and Charlie decided it was time for it to end. "Ron needs to rest and not worry about you blowing up right now, Gin. I think you should head back to your Common Room. We'll take care of him and you'll see him again when he gets back, okay?"

Ginny's face scrunched up, a tear slipping down her cheek. Confusion warred with anger and fear and guilt in her chest. A quick glance at Bill showed that he wasn't going to argue with Charlie's suggestion. She looked at Ron one more time, fully taking in the extent of his injuries, seeing the new pink skin that had just been regrown.

Without another word she turned and left.

* * *

 **Stay safe and have a lovely 2 weeks until the next update! :)**

 **Please review! :)**


	46. Chapter 46

Fickle Fate: Chapter 46

 **Hello all! Welcome back to a new chapter! I honestly think this story is turning into my longest one yet! XD How unexpected, given I originally started writing this as a simple, fun thought exercise. Thanks for the love and to my reader on bed rest, I hope you are feeling better!**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Falling into Place**

Tom looked up from his paperwork when Remus came into his office. The werewolf looked tired but that was to be expected, given the full moon was only two days away.

"Severus has Ron stable and set up in his room. Right now, he thinks Ron should be better and ready to go back to school by next Wednesday," Remus said. Tom let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and the tension released from his shoulders.

"That is good news," the Dark Lord replied. "His friends will be happy to hear it. How are his brothers doing?" Remus sighed and shrugged tiredly, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Tired. Stressed. Scared. Not that I blame them. Apparently their little sister showed up at the Hospital Wing." Tom sat up straighter in his chair. He hadn't known that because Harry hadn't been aware of it either to share it with him. "She seemed genuinely concerned for Ron but got really angry when Bill and Charlie explained her change in guardianship. The whole situation was rather tense and Charlie is worried that it set back Ron's health already. Ron was very... _tense_ the whole time Ginny was present and nearly had a panic attack when she finally left." Tom sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well hopefully having his brothers near will help him. Harry briefly mentioned his concerns over his friend to me. He knew that Ginny's rejection and his mother's hatred was having a bigger impact on Ronald than the young man was letting on." Remus nodded his understanding, having observed something similar.

"Have the children had a chance yet to make progress on the Horcrux," Remus asked, taking a seat across from the Dark Lord. Tom leaned back in his chair and his face pinched into a frown.

"Unfortunately not. Dumbledore has been blocking them at every turn and from what I understand, become a tyrant in the classroom. It's a wonder it hasn't gotten back to the...parents…" Tom rolled his eyes and cursed his stupidity. "Of course it wouldn't. As Headmaster he can filter the post that goes in or out." His pent up tension came out in the form of violently throwing a paperweight across the room. Remus's eye twitched but otherwise he didn't react.

"If you would be open to a suggestion…?" Remus left his sentence open, calmly waiting for the Dark Lord to acknowledge him. The Slytherin Heir finally did with a terse nod. "If you could find a way to get the Wizengamot to change their meeting times to outside of regular class hours, that'd give the children a set free time to explore the Room of Requirement." Tom was nodding before Remus even finished.

"Yes, yes. Good idea. I'm ashamed I didn't think of it before but...well, there's so many moving pieces here it's hard to pin them all down." Tom waved his hand through the air as if blowing off his own excuse. "Anyway, thank you, Remus. If you could tell Lucius about your idea, tacking on my approval of it, it would be much appreciated. I've still got...mountains of paperwork to go through." Remus nodded and stood to leave. The werewolf paused when Tom hesitantly called to him. "Is...is Sirius improving?"

"I'd say so. It's...slow, but he's having fewer bad days and seems to be getting more sleep at night. The Mind Healer is helping," Remus eventually said. It was unusual for him to witness the Dark Lord seeming to care about another's wellbeing, at least someone who wasn't Harry. While Remus the Wizard could semi-logically wrap his mind around cooperating with the Dark Lord's plan to end the war and keep Harry safe, Remus the Wolf struggled daily with the knowledge that he was working with the wizard that had killed his best friend, the father of his pup. He understood that the Dark Lord was quite insane at the time and much more sane now….but still. Remus certainly didn't plan to become friends with the man. With another nod he left Tom to his work.

Meanwhile, up the stairs and farther down the hall there was a bedroom full of red headed wizards and two exhausted healers. Rodolphus squeezed Severus's shoulder to signal he was leaving the room to settle in his own bed. Snape nodded and waved him off.

"Thank you, Severus and Rodolphus," Bill croaked out. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and squeezed Fred closer to his side, as the younger wizard had hugged him in fear earlier. Madam Pomfrey had given them the all clear to take Ron "home" (i.e. Lestrange Manor) and Bill and Charlie had ever so carefully done so through the nurse's enlarged floo. However, as soon as they stepped through to see Severus and Rodolphus waiting for them, Ron had started choking.

Even the brief floo travel had been too taxing on his lungs and Severus was barking orders left and right. It took a considerable amount of time and magic to stop the sudden acute respiratory distress Ron was suffering from, but Severus and Rodolphus managed. Presently, Ron laid in his bed looking white as a ghost but thankfully breathing normally, his lips no longer tinged blue.

Severus only sent Bill a sharp nod in acknowledgement of the younger man's gratitude. He finished cleaning everything up before turning to the gaggle of brothers.

"He will _feel_ better long before he _is_ better so it will be your job to make sure he rests and doesn't strain himself. If he pushes himself too hard too soon, we could see a repeat of his earlier episode." The Potions Master met eyes with each young wizard to ensure they grasped the severity of the situation and when he got four identical nods he turned and left the room. Snape dragged his feet all the way to his room and gracelessly collapsed into an armchair. He didn't even have the strength to summon a drink for himself.

He called for a house elf and ordered some tea. A full tray of tea and little sandwiches returned to him in five minutes. Severus took a deep breath of the steam coming off of his cup before taking his first sip, letting the warmth seep into his tired bones.

Another quiet pop alerted him that something else appeared on his tea tray. He opened his eyes to peek and saw a small note waiting for him. With a soft grunt he leaned forward and grasped the note. Severus couldn't stop the affectionate squeeze of his heart and the slight uptick of his lips when he read it:

 _"Harry says thank you and that he can't wait till this is all over so he can come home._

 _-Tom"_

* * *

It was two weeks later that Tom found himself heading into the Ministry of Magic unaccosted and unaccompanied. Severus had finally given the green light for Ronald Weasley to return to school with the understanding that he should return to the Hospital Wing immediately if he had any trouble breathing or pain in his chest. Tom knew that Harry and his friends were ecstatic that Ron was returning.

The children had been preparing everything for him so the sudden shock of jumping back into school wouldn't cause the young Weasley too many issues. Harry was also keeping him up to date on the children's new recruiting scheme.

It was moments such as that, that Tom would shake his head and remind himself to never underestimate young witches and wizards. It seemed a decent percentage of the student body were more open to believing that Dumbledore might not have their best interests at heart especially since the attack on Ronald. The best part: Harry and his friends didn't even suggest to anyone that Dumbledore was likely behind the attack. The students at Hogwarts were simply at a breaking point with all of the ridiculously dangerous events occuring at the school and the apparent disregard for their safety coming from the Headmaster.

So, needless to say, Harry informed him that they were gaining more anti-Dumbledore support every day. Another, perhaps surprisingly happy, development was that the shift in anti-Dumbledore numbers did not coincide with a sudden influx of desperate Dark side followers. In other words, just because more students and people were starting to disagree with and dislike Albus Dumbledore, those same people weren't suddenly deciding they wanted to follow "The Dark Lord" and join a cause of violence and torture of Muggles and Muggleborns. They, like the revamped "Dark" side, simply wanted peace and their children kept out of whatever ridiculous games Dumbledore was clearly playing.

Tom shook his head a little to focus himself back on the present. Certainly, while Dumbledore was losing clout and followers swiftly, he still retained a good deal of power, not to mention his penchant for not caring who got hurt on his way to achieving his goals. He wanted to stick to his plan of keeping everything legal but he despised the slow pace of it all. It seemed there was a network of followers that his side was unaware of that were working to stop the Ministry's investigation at every turn.

The Dark Lord mulled everything over as he stepped into the large room the Wizengamot meeting was going to be taking place in. He was one of the first few to arrive and noticed he was already getting confused stares. Tom kept his pleased smirk small as he took his seat.

The best part was Dumbledore had yet to arrive and Tom would get to see his face as soon as the Headmaster saw him. He knew the old man would recognize him and was curious what path the man would take. Tom kept his eyes wandering slowly throughout the room as people shuffled in. He didn't linger on any particular place so as to give no sort of "alliance" away to the many curious gazes; as such, Tom didn't give Lucius or Sirius a nod of acknowledgement either.

It seemed that Dumbledore learned from the surprise of the last meeting and decided to come earlier than the last time so to avoid being blindsided and having his shock on display for absolutely _everyone_. The Headmaster arrived and Tom almost fell out of his chair with laughter as it looked like the old man had a stroke upon seeing him. The Dark Lord only lifted a brow when Albus slipped his wand out of his sleeve on reflex.

The Headmaster was startled from his staring contest with Tom when someone coming into the room after him ran into his back. Just to mess with the old man, Tom deliberately looked away from him and started scanning the room casually once more, completely ignoring him. Albus continued to stand in one spot until Lucius arrived.

The Malfoy Patriarch made a show of bumping into the old man, a barely concealed look of disdain on Lucius's cold exterior.

"Headmaster. I suppose old age is finally catching up with you, hmm? So much so that you can't recall where you sit." Lucius gestured towards Dumbledore's usual seat with a flourish before moving towards his own seat. The Headmaster gave Malfoy's back a tight smile, glanced around to see how many people watched the exchange (hint: it was everyone) and then made his way to his seat with his head held high.

Members of the Wizengamot continued to file into the room for the next ten minutes until finally Madam Bones appeared and got the meeting started. Like last time Madam Bones called the meeting to order and started the census of the seats. As the census continued and their newcomer (Tom) made no objections or claims a tension started to grow in the room, centered primarily on Dumbledore and bleeding out to the rest of the council members.

They finally made it out of the family seats and to the final census: the Founders' seats. Dumbledore had lost the Gryffindor seats to Sirius at the last meeting and now he knew what Tom's ploy would be.

Chief Warlock Bones asked Sirius if he would continue his claim on the Gryffindor seats, and he said he would to no objections. Then she asked Dumbledore if he would continue his claim on the seats of the remaining three founders. Albus had barely finished saying that he would when Tom stood, immediately gaining all of the attention.

"I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, _Lord Slytherin_ , do object to Albus Dumbledore's claim of the Slytherin seats on the grounds of inheritance." The room erupted into exclamations of surprise. The title of Lord Slytherin had not be used in centuries and now here was this man most had never heard of coming forth declaring the title and using it _against_ the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Tom barely contained his smirk of victory as he presented his proof, all of the legal documents he could procure from the goblins of Gringotts, with a little help from Bill Weasley of course. "I know it is a little hard to believe," he explained as he handed the papers over to Chief Warlock Bones. "I've been wrapped up in...global politics for the better part of my time after school and finally returned home to start making my mark on our struggling society." His little speech seemed to convince some of the council members and they calmed for the most part. Meanwhile Albus was fuming, knowing he would come off as insane and be dismissed should he stand and claim Tom was the evil Lord Voldemort.

"Well these all seem to back your claim, Lord Slytherin," Amelia Bones said, returning the papers to Tom. "If there are no objections, the Slytherin seats will be transferred to Mr. Riddle on the grounds of inheritance." There were no objections forthcoming and the power of the council shifted once more. "Very well. We shall now move on with our business. Lord Malfoy, I understand you wished to address the council regarding our meetings?" Lucius nodded and stood.

"Thank you, Chief Warlock Bones. After having spoken with a number of my fellow Wizengamot members and the Hogwarts School Board, I make a motion to have our regularly scheduled meetings _rescheduled_ to avoid taking up valuable time during the work day. I offer the choice of evenings, following regular dinner hours, or Saturdays." The council members started muttering about the motion amongst themselves when Dumbledore addressed Lucius directly.

"Lord Malfoy, I hardly think moving the meeting time is necessary. We have all already worked this time into our daily lives. I'm sorry to say that this motion seems rather...insignificant, especially given the current crisis our world is facing," Dumbledore said, slathering his words with a grandfatherly, condescending tone. Lucius raised a brow and the other members held their breath in anticipation of how Lord Malfoy would respond. Sirius had only been to one meeting so far and he'd already heard tales of legendary debates between the Headmaster and Lucius.

"I can't see how you could claim the motion so insignificant, Headmaster, especially since I went to all of this effort primarily with members like you in mind. You see, we are all aware of the extra burden you have taken on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts this year, and I know that these meetings cause you to miss valuable class time. Would it not be better for the education of our children that a great wizard such as yourself, be there to teach them all they can learn ' _given the current crisis our world is facing_ '." There was a heavy silence over the room then in which Sirius struggled to contain inappropriate giggles. The Headmaster's face was frozen in anger and indignation at having his own words thrown back at him. He finally cleared his mind to respond when a different Wizengamot member spoke up.

"I must say I am inclined to agree with Lord Malfoy, Chief Warlock. While these meetings are quite important the work of our daily lives is also just as _significant_ ," the old man said. The wizard cast a disapproving look towards the Headmaster as he then suggested they vote first on whether to change the meeting times and then on when to change them too.

By the end of the meeting, Lucius was victorious in getting the meeting times changed, Tom's eyes were dancing in glee, and Dumbledore was digging his own grave deeper and quicker than Tom could have ever hoped for.

* * *

 **Honestly one of my favorite (and actually kind of** **embarrassing) things is when my reviewers remind me of plot points I have completely forgotten XD. All the more reason to review! Thank you all! :)**

 **Please review! :)**


	47. Chapter 47

Fickle Fate: Chapter 47

 **New chapter! Yay! :) To the reviewer who expressed their disinterest in my story: I wish to sincerely THANK you for being so polite about it. I wish you luck in your endeavors to find a story you do enjoy. :) Happy reading everyone!**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Important Discussions**

Harry was leaving his last class of the day, exhausted and wishing he could take a pre-dinner nap, when he was approached by Professor McGonagall. She gave his friends a (very) small smile before speaking to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, if you would accompany to my office, I'd like to speak with you." At seeing the slight fear in Harry's face she was quick to reassure him. "You are not in trouble. I promise." The young Gryffindor let out a sigh of relief before saying goodbye to his friends and following after the feline animagus without protest.

When they reached the witch's office, she ordered tea for them as Harry took a seat opposite her desk. His hand reached up to fiddle with the ring hanging on a chain under his robes. What had started off as a nervous habit just became a general habit. It was so bad Hermione kept having to remind him to stop whenever they were in the Great Hall in case his movements caught Dumbledore's eye and subsequently the man's dangerous curiosity. Professor McGonagall noticed the boy's movements and, though curious, didn't ask.

"Mr. Weasley is adjusting to being back rather well. I take it you and your friends have been helping him get back on track?" Harry nodded and took a cup of tea more out of politeness than actual thirst.

"Yes, Ma'am. We didn't want him to be overwhelmed as soon as he got back and put him right back into the Hospital Wing, so 'Mione came up with a study plan we've been sticking to. She's also been helping him a lot more than usual. The rest of us mostly just buckle down on our work out of solidarity and help anywhere we can." Professor McGonagall nodded along as Harry explained.

"That is very kind of all of you. I am glad to hear my lions are looking out for each other and also reaching out to students in other houses." Minerva bit back a fond smile (from years of experience) as she watched Harry's cheeks pink ever so slightly at the praise. "While it is good to hear about Mr. Weasley's progress, that was not the only reason I asked to speak with you, Mr. Potter." Her tone became more serious than fond. "I've noticed an unfortunate decline in the quality of your work recently." Harry grimaced and stared down into his tea cup. "I am not singling you out, Young Man. I've noticed the same thing in a number of my students and want to see if it is a person-by-person occurence or rather a general issue that I may be able to resolve."

"I'm sorry, Professor. I...I'm really trying to keep up with the work for my classes, but...well…" Minerva frowned as she saw Harry grimace again. "Look...I don't want to sound like I'm whining, but DADA has gotten ridiculously hard even for Hermione. Professor Dumbledore is giving us ten times the work of anyone else and grades harsher than any professor I've ever had, even Snape." Professor McGonagall understood Harry's hesitance to answer her question then. It was not common for teachers to accept the excuse that other teachers are being too hard on the students, preventing them from performing well in their other courses.

In this case, however, Minerva more than believed her student. Her lips pursed in annoyance.

"I have spoken with Professors Flitwick and Sprout recently, regarding similar complaints from their Houses. Unfortunately, if any of us approach the Headmaster about it we fear he will simply worsen the load on you all." She sighed heavily, reaching up a hand to rub her temple. Harry's shoulders slumped ever so slightly as the little bit of hope that had been building in his chest was snuffed out.

"I understand, Professor," he said tiredly. Not for the first time Harry wished his only concerns in life were getting his homework done on time and making sure he didn't disappoint a set of parents waiting for him at home.

"That is not to mean that we will do nothing, Mr. Potter," she assured him. She was pleased to see his head pop up and a small smile start to turn up the corners of his lips. "Until the Headmaster is...retired from his post, there is nothing we can do about the Defense Against the Dark Arts courses. However, we can be more understanding regarding work turned in for our classes. I will speak with the other professors and I'm sure we can work out a system to make your overall course work less of a burden while still providing the highest quality education. I still want you to learn but I don't want you to make yourself sick trying to do it."

Minerva didn't hold back a small smile then and Harry gifted her with a beaming smile in return.

"Thanks, Professor. That would help loads."

"You are welcome, Mr. Potter. Now, there is one more thing I would like to say to you, if you would be receptive." Harry's head cocked to the side in confusion, having no idea what the cat animagus wanted to discuss. "I...I would sincerely like to apologize for not being there for you, and your fellow students, but you in particular." The young Gryffindor panicked for a moment when the older witch began to tear up a little. He had never seen his Transfiguration professor so emotional. "I can't help but think there were many instances where I could have intervened, given you a way out of dangerous situations, or prevented those dangerous situations from occuring at all. However, my biggest regret, was allowing Dumbledore to leave you with your muggle relatives." Minerva looked over her spectacles at him and in that moment Harry knew that she understood just what kind of childhood he'd had with them.

Harry's eyes widened in panic for a moment and his breath caught in his chest. He hadn't told anyone. He'd made that mistake only once in grade school and had forever regretted it. He hadn't even told his fa- Severus, or Sirius or Lupin, people he really trusted. Though once he got over his panic and could think clearly he would consider that they likely already knew. Harry could admit he wasn't the greatest liar and he couldn't always hide his instinctive, survivalistic reactions to certain situations.

"I would recommend discussing it with your loved ones, Mr. Potter, your _true_ family. Now that my mind is clear of Dumbledore's influence, I can clearly see the impact your upbringing has had on you, not the least of which is distrust of adults and authority figures. I would also suggest that once life has...settled down, you allow me to accompany you to the Hospital Wing to get a full medical exam from Poppy, so she can get a more accurate medical history." Harry's face paled even at the idea but it was clear from the witch's face that she wouldn't forget her 'suggestion' even if it took a long time for 'life to settle,' as she said. "The only reason I am not insisting it occur immediately is because I know for a fact you will not be returning to those dreadful muggles ever again."

Internally Harry was freaking out. He had never thought of this scenario, probably because there were a hundred more important things for him to be concerned about. Even his best friends didn't know the full extent of the Dursleys' abuse. While Harry was sure Severus had gotten glimpses, Voldemort was probably the only person who knew...everything really.

" _It's a good idea, Harry_ ," came Tom's voice. " _Don't worry about it too much now. We will deal with it when it comes. No one will think less of you…_ " And with those parting words, Tom faded away from Harry's consciousness.

Minerva didn't know what came over her student, but thankfully Harry seemed to calm. She decided it was best to move on from such a touchy subject.

"If you would be willing, I would appreciate you perhaps…passing around my apology through the Lion's Den. It pains me to even suggest it; an apology through someone else is dreadfully rude. I would hold a full house meeting to do it myself, however, I fear Albus will accuse me of trying to start a rebellion amongst the student body." Harry couldn't help a small huff of laughter.

"Getting accused of starting a rebellion is not as bad as you might think, Professor. Trust me," he said. Indeed, McGonagall recalled the young man getting accused of such a thing by Minister Fudge and that pink monstrosity the previous year.

"Be that as it may, I can't very well protect you if I am fired." Harry conceded her point and finally, the discussion turned to lighter subjects. The young lion was surprised to find he actually enjoyed just...talking to the Transfiguration Professor. She even shared a few stories of his mum and James from their time in school.

For the first time in a long time, Harry actually felt...normal.

* * *

"Hermione, have you got that bag ready," Harry asked. The Gryffindor witch nodded and pulled out her wand and a unassuming black bag. A substantial group of students were currently standing around the corner to the location of the Room of Requirement. Tom had told Harry that Lucius had gotten the Wizengamot to change their meeting times during their last meeting. Now, it was time.

The Wizengamot scheduled their meeting that evening at seven o'clock. A quick check at dinner and then a silent conversation with Minerva via facial expressions confirmed that Dumbledore was gone from the school. Harry and his friends immediately jumped into action. So, there they were: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Neville, Luna, Theo and Blaise. They had met up right after dinner and laid out the game plan. Harry explained the detection spells Tom had told him about and they agreed to checked the room slowly, cautiously and in pairs.

Hermione, unsurprisingly, was the one to remind them of the Hogwarts House Elves.

" _While I find it despicable, I wouldn't put it past the Headmaster to force the school's house elves into spying on us if we try and search for the horcrux,_ " she had said during their meeting. Her friends agreed and had cast multiple notice-me-not charms on themselves and repelling hexes specifically tailored to house elves. They could only hope that would work.

Then there was the concern about the horcruxes' apparent ability to influence them. A week or so ago, Tom had almost lost his mind when he realized he hadn't thought to warn them of it. Harry had had a headache for the rest of the day following the Dark Lord's mental freak out and refused to speak to Tom for the rest of the weekend. Finally Tom had gotten the message and left Harry alone for a short while. His next contact was indirectly through Lucius.

When the Malfoy Lord came for his bi-weekly inspection of the school he met with his son very briefly. He passed along a small black bag, practically dripping in containment and protection charms. It was meant to hold the diadem horcrux until Harry got a message to Tom (i.e. mind conversation) and Lucius was able to arrive to retrieve the package.

They passed through the door that revealed itself and once inside, Hermione passed Harry the bag, knowing he would probably be the only one who could get near the cursed object. The group of students stared out at the room filled with so much junk...and they were understandably daunted by the task at hand.

"Remind me again why we can't have our personal house elves come and help us find it," Theo muttered.

"Trust me, Tom wanted us to be able to rely on that first off," Harry said. "But Dumbledore has tightened the wards so much only those authorized by him can get through and no one can apparate in or out within a five mile radius of the school, including personal house elves. He's got the Weasley Twins working on that." Theo muttered under his breath about dark spells but the rest ignored him.

Harry looked to Ron and Hermione one last time, and upon getting their nods of support, he lifted his wand up to the ceiling.

" _Finite Finis!_ " A loud boom echoed throughout the room and there was a small quake. As dust showered down from the ceiling the students braced themselves for the next step. Harry raised his wand again. " _Accio horcrux!_ " Not a sound was heard and after a few minutes, the group realized that it was not going to be that easy. With a sigh they paired up: Ron with Hermione, Harry with Draco, Luna with Neville, and Theo with Blaise. "Alright, guys. Like with the Triwizard Tournament, send up red sparks if you need help. Send up a white flare if you found it." Blaise snorted.

"And if it's both?" Harry grimaced realizing that might very well be the case.

"Run?"

* * *

 **Only just managed to squeeze this chapter out to upload on time, so I apologize if it is a little shorter than usual. Still a ways to go guys but we are getting there!**

 **Please review! :)**


	48. Chapter 48

Fickle Fate: Chapter 48

 **Happy Thanksgiving everyone (though to my international readers, Happy Update Day!) I have to say I am thankful to all of you wonderful people for making me smile with your support. :)**

 **Some action! Finally!...Maybe...hey...what can I say? I tend to stall when I'm getting really close to grand finales. *_* Sorry!...**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **According to Plan...Right?**

Dumbledore returned from the third Wizengamot meeting fuming. His magic crackled around him in his fury, causing a few portraits in his office to quiver and fall before he was able to rein it in. With a wave of his hand the office returned to its original state. The Headmaster sat himself at his desk and chewed through ten lemon drops before his eyes landed on the Marauders' Map.

While this time no one had removed any more seats from him, he was still very upset about the change in meeting times. His lemon drop cracked ferociously between his teeth. He knew the real reason behind the change in meeting times: to allow the children opportunity to search for Voldemort's horcrux. Though it was a blow to his massive ego, Albus allowed the change without a more serious fight. He realized it would be easier if he allowed the children to do his work for him, especially since he finally figured out where the horcrux was more than likely located. Albus said the magic words and the Map sprung to life with footsteps and floating names. Knowing the children were likely warned that he would be returning to the castle soon, he searched their house common rooms first. He glared when he found each of them in their respective common rooms.

The Headmaster did not allow this to bother him too much. He ended the magic on the map and pulled out a strange looking gadget from his upper desk drawer. Albus carried it over to his private Pensieve. He flicked a latch on the side open and poured dull, wispy liquid-magic into the "water". Bending down, Albus stuck his face into the water and was sucked into the "memories".

 _"Why are there so many useless things in this place," Draco growled. Harry rolled his eyes at the Slytherin._

 _"They probably weren't considered useless long before they ever got dumped in here." Harry had his wand up and ready as he scanned his eyes over the endless piles of junk. He ignored Draco's continued mutterings._

 _The picture changed and suddenly Dumbledore was seeing Ron and Hermione. They were both extremely tense with their wands at the ready. A fluttering cloth caught Hermione's eye and she wandered towards it, brows furrowed._

 _The girl shrieked as the cloth suddenly sprang up and tried to smother her. Ron cursed it away from her and then cast a spell that caused it to disintegrate. Albus scowled at the scene. That cloth was centuries old and he'd had plans for it. He kept scowling as Ron helped Hermione up from the ground._

 _"Remind me why we're doing this again," Ron asked resignedly. Hermione frowned and hugged him before walking down a different path._

 _"At this point I have to think it's the only way to put an end to the war. I have to think it's the only way...we can survive this" Hermione said quietly. They continued their search in silence._

 _Once more Dumbledore's point of view changed and now he was following Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini. He watched Blaise pick up a music box with a quizzical look on his face before setting it down carefully. 'Yes,' Albus thought. 'These boys would be a bit more understanding of dark artifacts.'_

 _"There has got to be a quicker way to do this," Nott sighed. Blaise nodded his agreement but they carried on doing what they were before. Albus watched them warily approach pile after pile of stuff before Zabini stopped in front of a tall black cabinet. The boy's face scrunched up in confusion._

 _"Hey, Theo, does this thing look familiar to you?" Theo came over and got a similar look on his face._

 _"Isn't there something like this in Knockturn Alley? Yeah, in Borgin and Burkes!" Seeming to realize that didn't mean anything good, both boys took a few steps back from the cabinet._

 _"Doesn't it seem weird to you that there are so many dark artifacts in here? I can't believe the Headmaster doesn't know about all of this," Blaise said, incredulity coloring his tone. Theo agreed and Dumbledore watched them walk away from the Vanishing Cabinet, theorizing about what villany he could come up with knowing about these artifacts._

 _Albus felt an odd urge to thank the boys. He had forgotten about the Vanishing Cabinet, and if he could fix it, it would actually prove quite useful to him. Dumbledore speculated on that as the scene shifted once more to reveal Neville and Luna wandering through the Room of Requirement._

 _Neville kept spinning his wand in his sweaty palm while Luna walked about aimlessly. The young man turned to look at the Ravenclaw and was puzzled by her expression._

 _"Luna, why do you look so sad?" The blonde witch stopped and stared at the ceiling._

 _"We won't find it today. We'll find it next time, though….Neville, I have a terrible feeling about what happens when we find it." Neville froze and stared at the girl with a rare intensity._

 _"Luna, what do you mean by a terrible feeling? What do you think is going to happen?" He had learned to trust Luna's odd feelings and to not brush them off. Neville felt fear bubble in his chest as Luna actually reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek._

 _"I don't know, Neville. I just feel...death." Dumbledore raised a brow in curiosity even as the Longbottom boy paled. The Headmaster was just as startled as the young Gryffindor when Luna suddenly brightened and smiled at Neville. She grabbed his hand and started skipping off towards the front of the room. "C'mon, Neville. Harry will be calling off the search about now. We're done for tonight."_

 _With that Dumbledore was cast out…_

The Headmaster steadied himself on the cabinet beside him and summoned a headache potion. Given the experimental nature of the kind of magic he used he wasn't surprised at the side effects. Despite the headache, he was still pleased with what he had learned. He sat behind his desk and smirked at the object in front of him.

The children had been smart to try and avoid the house elves, but they didn't think to check for modified Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes tech.

* * *

Tom sat before his Inner Circle (plus a few Gryffindors) with Nagini curled around his feet. He appreciated her comforting weight there, having missed it the past few weeks. Tom assumed his familiar had been off pouting, missing her little 'Hatchling' as she had come to refer to Harry shortly before he left for school. The Dark Lord stroked his fingers gently between her eyes when she lifted her head to rest on his knee.

" _Tom_ ," she hissed to gain Marvolo's attention.

 _"Yes, Nagini?"_ Tom ignored the side eyes he was getting from his Followers, knowing they were reliving the many times he had conversed with the snake only to have her lash out at someone close by.

 _"The Little Hatchling will be safe, correct? You and your other magical humans will make it so?"_ Tom frowned at the deep worry in her tone, unused to such intense emotion in his familiar's voice.

 _"Of course, Nagini. We will do all we can to make sure Harry and the other children are protected during and after the war."_ Nagini was silent for a few moments, her tongue casually flicking in and out. Finally she said:

 _"That is good, Tom. Hatchlings are important."_ The Dark Lord was actually starting to feel quite worried over Nagini's odd, melancholic behavior.

 _"Are you well, Nagini? You are...not behaving as you normally would,"_ he said. Nagini lifted her head and slowly ducked it up and down in a simile of a nod.

 _"I am well, Tom. Simply tired. I have had much time to think."_ Here she paused, as though carefully considering her next words. _"Though Great Serpents have little need for...what you call emotions...I have come to find that...I have these…emotions...for you and the Hatchling. They make me long to be with you and not leave you. I...care…"_ Tom's full attention was on Nagini and the Inner Circle was watching the intense interaction with great concern.

 _"Nagini, it sounds as if you are trying to say goodbye."_ Nagini offered her wizard a comforting hiss and squeezed her coils gently around his feet.

 _"No, Tom. Never goodbye."_ Before Tom could question her further, Rodolphus called out to him.

"My Lord? Is everything alright?" The Dark Lord uncharacteristically hesitated. Finally, his thoughts cleared and he blinked a couple times before nodding.

"Yes, yes. Everything...is fine. Bill, you had news from the Goblins?" After a few moments of awkward silence, Bill slowly nodded and finally replied.

"Yes...they say they will give us copies of any forms of evidence we need to use against Dumbledore as long as they get some say in his punishment. They don't take kindly to their own being put under the Imperius Curse." Tom inclined his head in a show of understanding and sympathy.

"I cannot blame them. When the time comes for his trial we will make sure to keep our end of the deal. Rabastan, Severus, any whispers from the other Death Eaters?" Both men in question met eyes across the room before speaking.

"On the whole, the Death Eaters seem content to follow this new direction. It is as if a sigh of relief has blown through the ranks, and a new sense of drive has gripped them. Many are ready to take up the new cause and bring the Wizarding World back in to a time of peace and prosperity," Rabastan began.

"However," Severus said, his distinct voice immediately grabbing all attention, "there have been...whispers, My Lord, a couple of which are becoming rather close to moving to action." Snape couldn't say he was surprised at who he caught being discontent with their new direction. After all, he had been in each and every follower's mind.

"Who," Tom asked. He had his own suspicions but he was still bracing himself to be surprised.

"The primary complainants are the Carrow siblings, My Lord. They have been _particularly_ vocal as of late, and especially testy. Yaxley has also been throwing about complaints but his seem to simply be for the sake of complaining," Severus explained dryly. Tom closed his eyes and clenched his jaw to keep a rein on his frustration. His red eyes were determined when he opened them again.

"Clearly I made a mistake in allowing the Carrows the chance to adjust to the new way. I don't know why I did, considering they likely joined for the pleasure of torturing others. Rabastan, handle them. I want them gone. As for Yaxley, Severus, if you would, pay him a visit. Remind him that he should consider his loyalties or run while he still can." Tom noticed the slight grimace on Severus's face and knew the Potions Master didn't like being pulled away from his search for a way to remove the horcrux from his son. However, this was also important and wouldn't pull him away for long. The Dark Lord was pleased with the knowledge that his orders had been received and turned his attention to Lucius.

"Lucius, how has your mission been progressing?" Lord Malfoy could tell the Dark Lord was biting his tongue to prevent himself from asking for 'only good news'. Luckily, Lucius did have only good news to give Tom. He gave Tom a proud smile.

"I can assure you, My Lord, that things are progressing wonderfully. Unfortunately," he paused here (simply for dramatic effect...he was a _Malfoy_ after all), "I cannot take all of the credit. It seems our resident Lord Black has a pleasant past with our future Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones." All eyes turned to Sirius, who was sitting between Severus and Remus. He wasn't having the best day, mentally, but he was still aware and able to contribute to the meeting.

Sirius gave them all a tight smile.

"Amelia and I...we used to fancy each other in school. We didn't start to get serious until after graduation. I was...thinking about proposing before…" He left it hanging and when it became clear he wasn't going to continue, Lucius smoothly took over.

"Yes, and it is clear there are still fond feelings. While Madam Bones is fair and taken to liking me more than Albus Dumbledore, that is still a low bar. She wasn't very eager to speak with me but Sirius was able to smooth the way and make her more open to the idea." Sirius frowned and scowled a bit.

"I'm...I'm not manipulating her so she works into your plans. I-I do still care for her...and she would be a good Minister of Magic. I always told her she'd make a brilliant Minister one day." Sirius got a wistful expression on his face. Severus looked a tad uncomfortable but Remus reached out and squeezed Sirius's knee in comradery and comfort.

"Well…" Tom said somewhat awkwardly. He was still slightly distracted by his unease over Nagini. "How ever it came about both of your efforts are appreciated. Continue to find time to speak with her. I want her more than amenable to the idea. The Wizarding World won't survive much longer under the incompetence of Minister Fudge."

Tom passed out a few more assignments before calling the meeting to an end. He looked down at Nagini who still rested her head on his knee. Not knowing what to say, Tom just kept slowly petting her head, hoping the small lead ball in his stomach would stop growing.

* * *

 **...also it's not very long. Apologies but I promise some actual action...next time!**

 **Please review! :)**


	49. Chapter 49

Fickle Fate: Chapter 49

 **All I have to say is...here we go! Hold on to your knickers!**

 **Warnings: Angst.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Dangerous Connections**

"This is the day," Harry muttered to himself as he pulled an old sweater on over a Gryffindor t-shirt. Ron had met with Lucius during the week to confirm that there was a Wizengamot meeting planned for that Saturday. Lucius urged them to be careful and wished them luck.

Their group decided they would split up the tasks of searching that way such a large group of students running off together didn't seem constantly suspicious. Though Harry hadn't been the one to suggest the plan, he had wholeheartedly agreed with it, even if it was just because it meant fewer people potentially getting caught in the crossfire. Either way, it was unanimously agreed upon. As such, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco would be searching the Room of Requirement that morning while Luna, Neville, Blaise and Theo would head to Hogsmeade.

Though he had helped come up with the plan Harry had an unsettling feeling in his gut. It was one that made him feel confident that they would succeed in finding the diadem horcrux but that the success wouldn't bring about pleasant consequences. Harry shook his head. He had to focus on the important task at hand instead of a funny feeling.

He looked out of the window of his dorm one last time, watching his fellow students mill about and play in the snow, before heading downstairs to meet his friends. Hermione and Ron looked up when he came into the Common Room. Neither of them smiled. Instead the Trio shared a look of grim determination. Without a word, they left Gryffindor Tower. Luckily the three friends didn't have to go all the way down to the dungeons to collect Draco.

Blaise and Theo had more or less dropped him off at the Great Hall for breakfast, leaving him surrounded by a few other students and faculty. He met Harry's eyes when the three lions entered and got a nod of acknowledgement in return.

It would have been clear to anyone around them that the Golden Trio was agitated by something, but...it was a Saturday morning plus a Hogsmeade weekend. Their fellow teenagers were more concerned about sleeping in and enjoying the weekend than a few odd Gryffindors. Needless to say, Harry and his friends were able to choke down some breakfast and leave having garnered very little attention.

Once together outside the Great Hall, the group of four marched with purpose to the seventh floor. It seemed to take forever and no time at all before they were in front of the magical doors. Harry pushed down the nausea that started to creep up and burn the back of his throat. He nodded to his friends before pushing the doors open.

Almost immediately, Harry felt bombarded with a strong wave of power. It was like he was being called for and pulled at the same time. Ron laid a hand on Harry's shoulder as the shorter boy stumbled.

"You alright, Harry? What happened?" Harry rubbed harshly at his scar, face scrunched up in pain. While the wave of power didn't necessarily feel malevolent, it wasn't a pleasant sensation either. The young Gryffindor had closed his side of the connection with Tom (after warning the man) because he knew the Dark Lord needed to stay focussed during this Wizengamot meeting. However, now he was starting to regret that decision.

"I think I can feel the diadem. It...it wants to be found." Understandably, his friends all looked wary.

"That doesn't sound like a good thing," Draco said. Everyone agreed but knew they had to continue with the mission anyway.

"Good or bad, we need to get this over with. Which way, Harry," Hermione demanded. After a moment's hesitation Harry started walking down a side path, one harder to see than the others before them. The group moved slowly, Harry occasionally pausing to determine the correct direction. Finally, Harry stopped completely. Ron's brows furrowed as he saw Harry's hands shaking and a thin sheen of sweat coating his friend's forehead.

Harry let out a trembling breath and pointed at the top of a rather large and precariously piled mountain of junk. They all looked up and sure enough: there sat the diadem. Draco let out a frustrated huff of breath and scowled.

"Right, well I don't think any of us are going to be able to climb up there without breaking our necks," the blond complained.

"Maybe we can knock it down? Since _Accio_ won't work we could just try small blasting spells near it to dislodge it closer to us," Hermione suggested. Hermione, Ron and Draco debated the idea for a few minutes, not really noticing how Harry's attention wasn't on the conversation. The raven-haired Gryffindor was locked in to the diadem. A painful pounding sensation was growing in his head and he swore he could hear something hissing in his mind, something that wasn't Tom. Harry took a step closer to the pile of junk just as Draco let off a small blasting curse.

"No!" Harry screamed. The blast was just a little too close to the diadem and while the horcrux fell it also screamed. When it landed, it lashed out in retaliation.

All four of them were blown off their feet, landing painfully either on the floor or on a nearby pile of junk. Wind blew viciously about them and a scream rent the air. They all covered their ears in pain at the dreadful noise. Harry saw Ron lift his wand, but before he could cast any spells a larger than life apparition of his brother Bill appeared and sneered down at Ron.

"You really think I would want to take you in? Even Mum didn't want you! You're nothing but a waste of space, a worthless creature I am sick to call brother." Though he knew it wasn't real, Ron went pale at the apparition's words and felt his throat tighten with emotional hurt.

"Ron, don't listen to it," Hermione screamed as she struggled to her feet. Without hesitation the fake-Bill whipped around and turned into both Harry and Ron.

"Why do you always have to follow us around like a stray dog," fake-Ron complained. "You're an unwanted little know-it-all. Find someone else to stalk, Granger!" Fake-Harry snorted in laughter.

"She actually thought we liked her! For a freakish brainiac she sure is stupid," and then both apparitions fell over one another in laughter. Tears glistened in Hermione's eyes even as she glared at the horcrux's visions. Meanwhile, Draco and Harry helped each other into standing, both bent over from the force of the wind. Raw, malicious power roared in their ears as fake-Ron and fake-Harry morphed together and spun around to reveal a looming caricature of Lucius Malfoy.

"You are the sorriest excuse for a son any father could have. I should have left you to your mother's devices and let your aunt kill you. You aren't worthy to share my name!" Harry clutched tightly at Draco's arm as the other boy shook in hurt and anger. Draco managed to shoot a Bombarda off at the fake-Lucius but the spell simply passed through the apparition. Fake-Lucius threw his head back and laughed before snapping it back to glare at his son. "Pathetic," he spat.

"Stop," the real Harry yelled. In a moment fake-Lucius became Severus Snape. The fake Potions Master looked down his nose at Harry as if he were a rotten potions ingredient.

"Hmmm...your parents were right to leave you, Potter. I can't imagine they'd find any reason to keep living if they knew the dreadful young man you'd become. Your uncle should have tried harder to beat you to death over the years, or, better yet, drowned you as soon as you showed up on their doorstep." He knew, he knew it wasn't real but the horcrux spat out every awful thought he'd had about himself and from the mouth of someone he'd grown to care for. Harry knew he couldn't lose this battle and so, squeezing his eyes shut and blocking his ears to focus he screamed:

" _I DEMAND YOU STOP,_ " in parseltongue. The command was actually enough to make the horcrux...hesitate. For just a moment, the howling wind stopped and the apparition froze. It was only a moment but it was just long enough for Hermione to leap forward and slam the cloth bag from the real Lucius down on top of the diadem and slip it inside without touching it.

Immediately, the vision and the oppressive magic ceased. It left such a sudden vacuum of power in the air that the gang stumbled and found themselves taking heaving breaths. After a few minutes they had calmed and straightened.

"Is everyone okay," Harry asked. He got tired nods in return. Hermione looked especially shaken up but Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders which she leaned into happily. Draco ran a shaking hand through his hair and swallowed a few times before speaking.

"Let's get out of here. The quicker we let them know we got it the quicker we can get it away from us." They were all eager for that to happen and so made their way to the doors. The closer they got, the heavier the bag felt in Hermione's hands.

* * *

Meanwhile, in London, Tom sat in a large room at the Ministry of Magic awaiting, yet again, the start of a Wizengamot meeting. He did not feel a growing sense of excited anticipation this time. No, he felt a lead ball in his stomach getting heavier by the minute.

He tried to tell himself that it was simply because Harry decided to block off their connection for the morning. Tom hadn't been too keen on the idea, but Harry seemed to think it would help them both focus better on their equally important tasks. As he assumed would happen, Tom actually had a harder time focussing on his surroundings because he _didn't_ feel that connection with Harry. Now he couldn't check in on the boy even if he wanted to.

For just a moment, Tom cursed himself for helping Severus teach the boy Occlumency over the summer. _Though_ , he grumbled in his mind, _as Snape said the boy is a natural and our lessons might not have added much strength to his ability only technique._ Tom forced himself to focus back on the present and cursed under his breath as he saw most of the room already full. They were only waiting for the last couple stragglers. The Dark Lord gazed over the council members and narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore. The old man seemed especially suspicious today, though that could just be Tom's heightened stress at the whole situation.

Finally, they were ready to begin. Despite this being only his third meeting, Tom was already sick of the roll call. Now he understood why so many of the other council members looked like they were sleeping through the whole thing.

Tom frowned when Dumbledore gave his usual call. It seemed...stiff, unnatural. He turned his eyes towards Lucius and noted his second in command also observed the Headmaster's odd behavior. A quick glance towards Sirius showed the Gryffindor cocking his head to the side like a curious dog, as if something was off about the Headmaster that he couldn't put his finger on.

Unfortunately with nothing to go on, they couldn't do anything about the "offness" that Dumbledore was exuding. So they remained calm and each kept one eye on the meeting's proceedings and one eye on Albus.

The council was discussing potential new Animagus bills when it happened.

Tom's link with Harry exploded in fear, anger and pain. For a brief moment Tom thought it was because the boy was battling the diadem horcrux and losing. Then his ring, the copy of the one given to Harry to use as emergency communication with all of them, started burning against his skin. He saw Lucius and Sirius both start at the sudden pain.

" _Harry, what is it!?_ " Images flashed through Tom's mind. Harry was so distracted fighting off his attacker he couldn't speak to Tom, only show him. It was enough to get Tom on his feet with his wand drawn.

"Lord Slytherin, what are you doing," Madam Bones demanded. The Dark Lord didn't answer her. Instead, with a terrifying scowl and fire burning in his eyes, he cast _Incarcerous_ and _Reveleo_ on "Albus Dumbledore". A growl of rage escaped Tom, while gasps of surprise echoed around the room from the other Wizengamot members.

In place of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, it was now a terrified Mundungus Fletcher.

"Lucius, Sirius, to the school! He's after the children," Tom yelled. Without a moment's hesitation, the three men flew from the room and out to the Ministry's floos, shoving anyone and everyone out of their way. In seconds they fell into the front room of Lestrange Manor and found other anxious Inner Circle members waiting.

The doors to the room burst open and Remus Lupin and the Weasley Twins ran in, Fred carrying some sort of strange devices.

"Okay, everyone hold onto this-" Fred said, face pale.

"-and your knickers, and say-" George continued.

"Down With Dumbledore!" they said together.

Tom didn't care enough to roll his eyes at the stupidity but if the device worked as it should, there was no point getting upset. The Twins had been working on a way to get through Hogwarts's Anti-Apparition wards, and apparently this was it.

"Remember," Tom said, "the rings will tell us where Harry is, but keep an eye out for his friends and Lucius's son. On three," and they all counted together.

In a moment they were just outside the school building, in the main courtyard. Upon hearing a scream they looked up just in time to see Harry falling out of the window of the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

 **…..guess I'll see you next time on..."DON'T HATE THE AUTHOR!"**

 **Please review! :)**


	50. Chapter 50

Fickle Fate: Chapter 50

 ***Phew!* It's been a tough 2 weeks but I've just squeezed out this chapter! The next update will be in 2 weeks putting it in 2019, so Happy Holidays everyone! Please read the warnings!**

 **Warnings:** **This chapter is a slight jump back in time from when we last left Harry and the gang. They had just gotten the diadem and are heading towards the exit of the ROR.**

 **Also warning for some cursing in this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Again, this chapter starts not directly after the last one but from Harry's POV of the last scene of the last chapter...if that makes any sense.**

 **Time to Go!**

Harry felt both exhausted and energized from the whole experience. He knew it was likely adrenaline coursing through his veins and he'd crash later, but for now it simply left him feeling like he had a buzzing under his skin. Harry was eager to be rid of the horcrux, and a small part of him was proud of himself and his friends. They'd come up against a really dark artifact and they were able to come out of the battle victorious and more or less unscathed. The small voice in his head wondered if Severus, Sirius and Remus would be proud of him for controlling his wild magic, preventing it from coming out to clash with the horcrux.

Needless to say, Harry had a lot of thoughts going through his head as they reached the doors of the Room of Requirement. He made the group pause before they left the room.

"Once we're out of here, I'm going to contact Tom and tell him we have it. He should send Mr. Malfoy here as soon as the Wizengamot meeting is over. Draco, if you're okay with it, I think you and I should get the diadem to your father." A very brief flash of fear crossed Draco's grey eyes at the thought of hanging onto the horcrux but he accepted the responsibility (and company) without complaint. "Alright. Hermione, could you let the others know we got it?" The witch nodded and handed the bag over to Harry before they finally left the room.

As soon as they stepped out into the hallway, Harry knew something was wrong. He tensed and lifted his wand.

"Guys-" Without warning his wand was snatched from his hand. They all turned, wide-eyed, to see Albus Dumbledore standing there holding Harry's wand. The old man held the wand up and turned it from side to side as if examining its quality. The Headmaster let out a curious hum before promptly snapping Harry's wand in half.

"Sir! What are you doing," Hermione cried in dismay. Albus barely graced the young witch with a glance before addressing Harry.

"You know why I am here, Mr. Potter. I would much rather you simply give it to me than force me to take it." Harry tried to stall for time so he could think of a plan.

"Sir, I don't-"

"Silence!" Albus was glaring full force now. "No games! Just give me the horcrux. I know you have it!" The young Gryffindor boy didn't know what to do. He wasn't lying whenever he told people that he mostly survived because of great friends and dumb luck! Harry could feel his wild magic _writhing_ in his chest like a wild animal backed into a corner. This made Harry panic more since he knew he wouldn't be able to control it if the situation escalated. He felt his bond to Tom burst open with the strength of his emotions, but couldn't focus enough to answer the Dark Lord's frantic demands for an explanation.

"Give it to me, Boy. Do you want this war to drag out forever?! Do you want more people to die?! Give me the horcrux," Dumbledore shouted. The only thing Harry knew for certain in that moment was that Dumbledore couldn't get the horcrux. When Harry hesitated again, clinging tighter to the bag in his hands, Dumbledore snapped.

The Headmaster raised his other hand and sent a powerful cutting hex at Hermione. It was clearly meant to harm not kill as it caught the outside of her upper arm. She screamed in pain, clutching the wound, and Harry watched as blood began to drip out between her fingers.

"You bastard," Ron suddenly screamed. The red-head wrapped himself protectively around Hermione and pointed his wand at the Headmaster. Albus lifted his wand to send a curse at the boy and Harry's barely-there control snapped.

"No!" His magic lashed out, pushing Ron, Draco and Hermione to safety and striking Dumbledore like a whip. The blast was strong enough to send Harry flying backwards down the hallway away from his friends. He turned to try and brace his fall and landed hard on his wrists and chest; his head bounced against the floor. Harry tried to blink away the sudden blurriness in his vision and worried about the sharp pain in his chest.

The young Gryffindor cursed himself as he was suddenly reminded by the pain that he had a valuable tool at his disposal: help. As he scrambled to his feet he turned and caught sight of his friends picking themselves up and Dumbledore already preparing another attack.

"Run," Harry screamed to his friends as he himself did the same, away from them so to draw Dumbledore farther from them. As he rounded the corner, feet slamming against the stone floors, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the sharp ring Tom had given him for emergencies. It swung wildly on its chain but he snatched it tight in his grip and poured all of his desperation into it as he called for help.

"POTTER," Dumbledore roared behind him. Harry dodged chunks of stone that were being blasted apart by the Headmaster's wild spell throwing. Now he knew he was being pursued by the real Albus Dumbledore, not the grandfatherly facade the old man favored.

Harry saw a corner coming up and made an abrupt turn around it, causing him to almost faceplant on a set of stairs. He realized he was at the stairs leading to the Astronomy Tower. Unfortunately, Albus was closing in and he didn't have much of a choice other than _up_.

The young man burst through the doorway and nearly brained himself on the large orbital structure in the middle of the room. He looked about frantically realizing there was no escape route, and he was well and truly screwed. Harry saw the open windows and tried to focus on his wild magic, thinking, "If I could just _Accio_ my broom-"

Dumbledore appeared behind him and Harry whipped around to face the enraged Headmaster.

"That was a fun little game, Harry, but you've lost. Give me the Horcrux. Just let me destroy it and we can all go back to our lives." Harry shook his head and tried to put more distance between himself and Albus.

"I know you won't just let it end here, Sir. You'll just keep pushing and pushing until you control everything." Dumbledore gave the boy an unimpressed look for his little speech. However, Harry wasn't done. He couldn't seem to focus on his desire for his broom enough but he could focus on one thing. "I know you won't end it, but I will." Then, with a little push and a flick of his hand, the bag containing the Horcrux disappeared. He stuck his hands into his pockets and took hold of his DA coin to send a message.

The utter shock and rage on Albus's face was almost enough to make Harry burst into hysterical laughter despite the circumstances. What was more scary however, was that instead of exploding in rage like before, Albus suddenly looked quite calm.

"Well, my boy, you always were good at playing the martyr. What's one last time?" Then, with a flick of his wand, a spell flew out and crashed into Harry's chest, sending him flying backwards...and out the window.

Harry was winded by the strength of the blow and fought for air even as he started to fall. His mind was in a mad panic trying to direct his wild magic to accomplish any and every thing. A small hysterical part of his brain questioned why he was so afraid of this fall when he had done suicide dives on his broom hundreds of times.

His ears were deafened by the sound of the wind blowing by them in his free fall. He felt like there was a string hooked into his belly button that was yanking him faster and faster towards the ground.

Suddenly a screech broke through the sky. Harry's eyes rolled around as he tried to spot the source of the sound. The next moment he was hanging by his wrist. The jolt almost ripped his arm from its socket. Looking up he finally caught sight of what...or rather _who_ saved him.

Fawkes's feathers glinted brightly in the late autumn sun. A smile of intense relief suddenly cut across Harry's face. He crowed in triumph and the phoenix joined him in his cry before dropping him gently into the courtyard. Harry's knees were shaking so bad they barely held him in an upright position. It didn't help that moments later he was tackled by his godfather.

"Dear Merlin! Harry, are you alright?!" Harry nodded as Sirius fussed over him. Looking over the man's shoulder Harry spotted Tom and the others. He offered a weak smile to them then stopped when he saw Severus standing there, stiff as a board. The young Gryffindor offered reassurances to Sirius before walking over to the Potions Master.

"I'm okay, Severus." Harry made the impulsive decision to throw his arms around the man, hugging him tightly. He felt Snape stiffen further upon the initial assault, before the Slytherin returned the embrace, squeezing his son tightly. Severus let out a shaky breath into Harry's hair and whispered,

"I'm very glad you are alright." Harry nodded into the man's chest and then they separated. He then turned his attention to Tom.

"We got the diadem. It's in the bag Lucius gave us. I pushed Ron, Hermione and Draco out of Dumbledore's way and they should be getting help. I sent the diadem to safety." Tom nodded sharply and turned to his followers.

"I need somewhere safe to perform the re-unification ritual. Rodolphus and Rabastan will come with me to guard the area while I reunite with the diadem. The rest of you, work with the staff to keep all the children out of danger. Lucius, send for Aurors. Let them handle Dumbledore unless it is clear the man is going to escape. He's backed into a corner now. He'll likely call what's left of his Order to him as well." Before the Dark Lord had even finished speaking a large group of Aurors arrive with Amelia Bones at the front stalking towards them. There was clear relief in her eyes when she saw Harry Potter standing there looking unharmed, aside from a large bruise forming at his temple.

"I've just signed an arrest warrant for Albus Dumbledore," she announced to those present. "I've authorized using any force necessary, as such we are evacuating the castle." At that the Aurors headed towards the castle sending out Mr. Potter, are you alright? What happened?"

" _Tell her the truth, Harry...just minus the Horcrux._ " Harry nodded mentally to Tom's instruction and answered the Chief Warlock.

"My friends and I were coming out of the Room of Requirement after a studying session and Professor Dumbledore was waiting for us. He took my wand and...and snapped it then started demanding we give him something. When we tried to tell him we didn't have whatever he was demanding he attacked us. He hit Hermione with some sort of cutting spell. My friends and I got separated and he chased me up to the Astronomy tower. He kept saying if I just helped him the war would end, but I knew he was lying. I refused and he...he blasted me out of the Astronomy Tower." Remus came up beside Harry and put his arm around the boy's shoulder to comfort his pup.

"We arrived in time to see Mr. Potter falling," Tom picked up. "Thankfully, Dumbledore's familiar caught him and brought him down to us." Madam Bones's face spoke volumes as to just how disgusted she was by the Headmaster's actions.

"A wizard must truly be mad for his own familiar to turn against him," she muttered. Her focus wasn't only on the deranged Headmaster though as she eyed Tom with some suspicion. The Dark Lord knew he would meet with her once the whole thing was settled and explain...everything. However, now was not the time. Then movement off to the side caught Amelia's eye.

"You four! What part of stay away from the castle did you not understand?" Harry looked over to see Neville, Luna, Blaise and Theo rushing towards them.

"We're sorry, Madam Bones, but we had to see that our friends were alright," Theo said, distracting the woman long enough for Neville to pass his burden off to Lucius Malfoy without being seen.

"I'm fine guys," Harry said, then looked around as students started to be shepherded out of the school. "But I haven't seen Ron, Draco or Hermione yet." Suddenly,

"Father!"

"Harry!" Draco broke away from the group of evacuating students and met his father halfway in a desperate hug. Ron and Hermione both ran towards Harry who caught Hermione in her own flying leap to hug him.

As Lucius fussed over Draco (Theo and Blaise going to join them) Harry fussed over Hermione's arm.

"It's okay, Harry. Ron used a healing spell on it as soon as Dumbledore was gone. Then we ran to get help. Oh, Harry, what happened!?" Ron demanded to know the same thing and Harry braced himself before telling them. Hermione had tears and murder in her eyes when he was done and Ron pulled Harry into another hug. Before he could offer them more words of comfort the Weasley Twins came over, Bill and Charlie in tow (Fred and George had fire-called them to meet the group at Hogwarts when they got the emergency call).

"Come on, guys. We're all getting out of here. You've all done wonderfully, but your part is over," Bill said with a sad smile on his face.

"Hermione, let me take a look at your arm as we go. I've got more first aid training than my little brother," Charlie gently ordered. The witch nodded amicably and Ron took no offense. Soon they were all walking off, the adults forming a protective band around the children.

But of course...it wouldn't end that easily.

* * *

 **If you guys haven't already guessed I'm not that great at fight/battle scenes, so please brace yourselves for some... interesting future "violence." Thanks for sticking with me and this more than ridiculous story this long and putting up with me as I slog through this climax. The end is upon us and it will get here...eventually.**

 **Please review! :)**


	51. Chapter 51

Fickle Fate: Chapter 51

 **New Year, New Chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. :) Apparently I really shouldn't try to write while on a break for the holidays because it just turns into me writing most of it the day I plan to update anyway. Meh, at least it's done.**

 **Also, I just feel the need to clarify that most of my Harry Potter knowledge is based off of the movies. I read the books, but most of them I had read to me as a kid, ergo I don't remember a lot of those details. The only one I read myself was the last one (multiple times I might add). So basically this is just me apologizing for only really going off of movie canon, in case any readers get confused.**

 **Warnings:** **Poor attempts at violence, soo trust me nothing graphic but I figured I warn you anyway**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Chaos**

They were all making their way slowly away from the school, Madam Bones staying behind to assist in Dumbledore's capture. Harry was more than ready to collapse into bed despite it barely being lunch time. He was also more than happy to let _someone else_ deal with Dumbledore. If Harry leaned a little harder into Sirius's side as they walked along, his godfather didn't do more than smile.

Through his connection with Tom he asked how all of them managed to get to the school so fast. The Dark Lord described the Weasley Twins' invention and explained that they didn't exactly want it to become common knowledge (yet), hence returning to the manor a different way.

Suddenly Harry stopped, and his friends (and family) stopped as well.

"What's wrong, Harry," Sirius asked, concerned. Harry's brows pulled together and he looked back at the castle. He saw the Aurors ushering the last of the students out easily enough since most had been at Hogsmeade already.

"I don't know. I just suddenly got a really bad feeling." Without warning, Luna started screaming.

Neville grabbed onto her as her knees gave out. The whole group crowded around and Snape crouched down in front of the fallen Ravenclaw, wand out and prepared to cast a diagnostic spell. Then, Luna spoke.

" _Lost souls will meet and cleave they must or the Dark will become Death's master. Neither can live while the other survives. No One must hold Three._ " Luna's voice was intoned with power and those gathered stared at her in shock, awe and dread. They knew a true prophecy when they heard one.

"I really think we should leave now," Ron muttered. His friends nodded their agreement even as the adults quickly started to shuffle them all along. They were stopped in their tracks by a low rumbling sound. The ground vibrated beneath their feet and they all looked around for the source of the disturbance.

"There," Theo shouted, pointing his wand towards the Forbidden Forest. The next moment over a hundred acromantula come bursting through the trees followed swiftly by giants and trolls. Before they could find themselves too focussed on the creatures pouring from the Forbidden Forest, screams behind them forced them to turn around.

Order members were coming out of the school and were trying to fight the Aurors. Luckily they had just finished getting the young children evacuated before spells started flying.

"My Lord, should I send word to the faculty," Severus asked.

Tom nodded sharply and the next moment a bright shining doe was galloping away from the scene.

The adults closed ranks around the students. Harry found himself shoved even further into the middle of the circle by his friends seeing as he didn't have a wand. Rabastan pointed out a possible escape route and the group started making their way away from the fighting as fast as they could. The sound of monsters starting to invade the area encouraged them to pick up the pace.

They were making good progress and were far enough away from anyone else that Tom was about to order the Twins to bring out their invention to get everyone out when they were suddenly set upon.

A vicious growl caused Harry to whip his head around to the left just in time to see Fenrir Greyback leap from the shadows and tackle Remus to the ground.

"Remus," Sirius shouted and the Animagus leapt into the fray to save his friend. Some of the others moved to help but they quickly became overwhelmed.

A magical whip flew out of the dark and wrapped itself around Rabastan's neck. Rodolphus rushed to his brother's aid. Their assailants stepped into the light and Rodolphus glared menacingly at the Carrow siblings. Rodolphus did not bother with threats and started throwing spell after spell. He was eventually able to knock Alecto hard enough that she released Rabastan. Knowing that his brother was now free, Rodolphus became even more vicious in his spell casting against the deranged siblings; Rabastan quickly regained his footing and joined his brother's attack.

Meanwhile the others in Harry's group were becoming embroiled in their own battles. Several Order members, including Mrs. Weasley, came around the corner and tried to fight their way towards Harry. The Weasley siblings did all they could to prevent that for all that it broke their heart to fight against their own mother. Their father was nowhere to be seen.

"Lucius," came a nasty hiss. The Malfoy Lord whipped around to see Narcissa advancing on him. He could clearly see that the Black madness had manifested itself in the witch as her eyes gleamed with insanity. What truly terrified him, however, was that her wild eyes landed not on himself, but on their son standing next to him. Draco had frozen stiff upon seeing his mother. He knew there was no possible way she was there for a good reason but he still hesitated to brace himself. Draco still didn't want to believe she would actively seek to hurt him.

Unfortunately for him, she had no such compunction. Lucius was blinded by rage when the woman he had once been married to cast a _Crucio_ at his son. He saw Draco fall to the floor in agony and immediately began casting curse after curse at his ex-wife. A small part of his brain not completely focused on the goal of destroying Narcissa felt immense pride as his son scooped himself up off the ground once the torture curse lifted and joined the fight.

Severus, meanwhile, was casting curses at acromantula that started flooding the area. His mind was hyper-focused on protecting the children around him, especially his vulnerable son. The students with wands were casting out spells either to assist others in their fight or keep the spiders at bay.

In the midst of all of this, Harry was communicating with Tom, the Dark Lord busily using a magical fire whip to hold off the spiders.

" _Tom, you have to complete the ritual_ ," Harry called. He felt utterly useless without his wand and was looking around frantically for a solution.

" _Harry, we're in the middle of something if you haven't noticed! Keep your head down_ ," Tom snarled back. He growled in pain as one of the spiders managed to slash his calf with a claw.

" _You heard Luna's prophecy! If you don't do it, Dumbledore will win!_ " There was a pause where Tom just knew Harry was thinking about doing something stupid. " _Give me a minute_."

" _Harry, whatever you are thinking, don't-!_ Gahh! You cursed things," Tom bellowed the last bit out loud and started blasting the spiders with multiple _Bombarda's_ sending bits of acromantula everywhere.

Harry reached out and grabbed Neville's collar, pulling the boy's ear down towards his mouth.

"Neville, where is the diadem?" Neville kept his eyes on the battle raging around them as he answered.

"I gave it to Mr. Malfoy! He's over there fighting with Draco's mum!" Harry's eyes followed Neville's pointed finger and indeed saw Lucius fighting with Narcissa, Draco at his side. A _Bombarda_ off to the right caused a stone statue of a knight to be blown to bits. A stone arm landed not too far away from Harry. Spotting an opening around the side of the Malfoy's, he finally got his idea.

Without a word of warning, Harry darted out from the pack and scooped up the stone arm. He blocked out the sound of his friends and Severus calling for him to return. Harry used all the speed he gained from his years of running from Dudley to dash around the battle, ducking spell after spell.

He sped around the trio he had his eyes on and, batting off any spider that came too close, made his way around the back of Narcissa. Luckily for him, Lucius saw him and made sure not to hit him with a spell. Harry raised the stone arm and clocked Narcissa right on the head. As she dropped like a stone (for lack of a better word) he could only hope he didn't kill her with the blow.

Ignoring Draco staring at him with his mouth hanging open, Harry dropped the stone arm, leapt over Narcissa's body and ran up to Lucius. The Malfoy Patriarch grabbed Harry's shoulders and shook him.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking!? That was extremely foolish and dangerous!" Harry only just barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Scold me later along with everyone else. I need the horcrux. I've got to get it to Tom." Lucius looked ready to argue the point (in the middle of a battle too) when Draco just reached into his father's cloak pocket and pulled out the bag containing the diadem.

"If you don't give it to him, he'll just do something else incredibly stupid to take it from you. I'll take care of Mother. You get him to the Dark Lord." Lucius blinked in astonishment at his son's audacity but realized it was neither the place nor the time to push anymore. He grabbed Harry's elbow and started dragging the boy through the carnage around them.

Everything stopped when a roar vibrated the space around them. Loud, ground shaking steps moved closer and closer until a giant rounded the corner. It roared again and raised a club to start swinging at them. Most of the fighters turned their efforts to bringing down the great beast.

"Severus, Lucius," Tom called. "Get the children back to the castle!" The Dark Lord focussed on protecting the backs of his other followers as they worked to stop the giant.

" _Tom, I've got the diadem!_ " Harry tried to convince Tom to come with them so they could start the ritual as he was dragged along through the battle back towards the castle.

" _I know, Harry. I will join you as soon as I can. Stay safe!_ " And with that Tom proceeded to ignore Harry's angered mental calls for him to listen. As they worked their way through the courtyard towards the front doors, Harry turned to see that his friends were okay. He was overjoyed to see them mostly unharmed. Hermione managed to catch his eye and the witch gave him a look that clearly said he was going to get a very intense tongue lashing when all was said and done.

Harry spotted Hogwarts professors near the front entrance of the school ushering people inside as they held off a sea of spiders, as well as deranged dark and light followers. McGonagall saw them and waved them past.

"Quickly! Most of Hogsmeade was forced back this way. The children are to stay in the Great Hall!" Indeed Harry saw other students who had been out for the Hogsmeade weekend running away from the fight and into the castle.

His group had just made it past the front entrance when an explosion sent stone and smoke showering over them. In the confusion Harry felt someone else grab his elbow and yank him away from Lucius. He struggled against his unknown assailant but they wrapped their arm around his chest and clamped a tight hand over his mouth as they dragged him away.

Harry reached out for Tom over their connection but the Dark Lord was too embroiled in his battle to focus on him.

The young Gryffindor was dragged away from the others, further into the castle and to an isolated hallway. Once they escaped the smoky haze Harry was able to get a good look at who had him. It was Mad Eye Moody who's arm felt like a steel band across his chest, causing his ring to dig painfully into his skin. A quick glance to the left showed Kingsley Shacklebolt was also there, wand out and keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Stop struggling, Boy," Mad Eye growled. Harry glared at them as best he could; he managed to open his mouth just enough behind Mad Eye's hand bite the ex-Auror's palm. Moody snarled, yanked his hand away and then smacked Harry's mouth hard enough to make the boy taste blood. "Keep that up, Boy. Dumbledore didn't say you needed to arrive in one piece." A cold spike of fear shot through Harry's chest as he heard that and he started struggling more.

Kingsley sharply jabbed his wand to Harry's temple and opened his mouth to cast a _Crucio_ when he screamed in pain. A vicious hiss from the ground caused Harry to look down.

" _Nagini_!" The large snake was repeatedly biting Kingsley's ankles. When the wizard brought his wrist down to cast a curse Nagini struck his hand, knocking his wand away and slicing his wrist to pieces.

Mad Eye seemed to think this was a perfect distraction and continued to drag Harry down the hallway, leaving Shacklebolt to die at the hands of the Dark Lord's familiar. Harry squirmed and fought and scratched as much as he could; he could feel his wild magic stirring up but was unable to direct it properly.

" _Hatchling_ ," Nagini cried. She hurried away from the now dying Shacklebolt. Mad Eye cursed under his breath and shot a spell at the snake. Nagini hissed as the spell hit her, but Tom's protection charms stopped it from doing any damage. With one final push she struck, practically flying through the air. Harry ducked and Nagini's teeth sunk right into Mad Eye's face. Harry found himself bruising his knees as he struck the ground hard; Mad Eye had dropped him in an effort to save himself from the vicious attack.

Nagini released the deranged man but repeatedly struck him. In moments Mad Eye was bleeding out, continuing to cast spells though they had no effect on the snake. Finally the man was dead and Nagini hissed in triumph. She slithered over to Harry and bumped her snout against his face gently in comfort.

" _Are you well, Hatchling? I heard your cries and knew you and Tom were in danger through our...connection. I followed the pull inside and ended up in this great cave that houses other Hatchlings. I saw these bad men take you. Why is Tom not here to protect you,_ " Nagini hissed angrily. In any other situation Harry would have laughed at hearing the great snake babble like a worried mother but in that moment all he could do was wrap his arms around her and let her coil around his body in the simile of a hug.

* * *

 **My attempt at a "battle" scene. Not great but hopefully it gets the point across. Also, before anyone asks: yes, Voldemort did announce to his followers that they were going in a new direction, though if you recall not everyone was happy about that. I'll also add that Dumbledore has manipulated dark side people before...and leave it at that.**

 **Please review! :)**


	52. Chapter 52

Fickle Fate: Chapter 52

 **I'm so sorry for the late update! I still hadn't finished the chapter yesterday, sat down to write it and after 2 paragraphs fell asleep! I slept for 12 hours straight...yeah I'm tired. But, anyway, here it is! I swear I'm trying to hurry the action along, I just seem incapable of doing so. Apologies.**

 **Also, apologies, I did not read this chapter over for mistakes so...be forewarned.**

 **Warnings:** **Poor attempts at violence, soo trust me nothing graphic but I figured I warn you anyway**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **The Connection**

"Harry!" Said young wizard whipped his head around, hindered slightly by the large snake around his body, to see that it was Severus who called his name. He saw Severus's eyes widen minutely upon witnessing the dead bodies of Shacklebolt and Moody before they turned back to face Harry. Harry made the wise decision to get to his feet himself before Snape arrived and hauled him up, snake and all.

Rather unsurprisingly given their growing relationship, Severus immediately scanned Harry for injuries and fussed over the bruises and cuts forming. When it was clear that his son had not sustained serious injury, Severus relaxed, but only a little.

"Come. We must get to the Great Hall," the Potions Master said as he ushered Harry along quickly. "Madam Bones has called in more Aurors to help get everyone out. The Ministry has recently developed emergency portkeys for the Auror department that will get up to ten people out of a tight spot no matter the wards surrounding them."

"Well isn't that handy," Harry muttered. "Severus, Tom really needs to complete the ritual." Snape huffed at his son's continued focus on the ritual rather than escaping a deadly situation.

"And he will, when everyone is safe and he has the time to do so. It is imperative you leave, especially since you now have Nagini." Severus's dark eyes jumped to the snake; he clearly had questions as to how she came to be there but decided it wasn't the time to bother asking them. They rounded the corner and could see the entrance to the Great Hall.

"So everyone's leaving," Harry asked. One look at Snape's slight grimace told Harry he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"No. A few of us from the faculty and Inner Circle will be staying to assist the Aurors." Harry spun on Severus with a ferocity that had Nagini hissing in warning.

"I can't go then! What if something happens?! I want to help!" Severus's jaw clenched and he wondered if the feeling of utter frustration and pride was one parents were used to.

"Need I remind you that you have _no wand_? No way to defend yourself? You were just dragged off by the Headmaster's top supporters and only escaped because the Dark Lord's snake somehow showed up. You are a giant target, Harry. Your presence puts the rest of us in danger because we would be distracted by trying to keep you safe. You can help by going to the Ministry with your friends while we end this." Severus knew his words were a bit...harsh, and that his son would likely twist them in some way to mean he was guilty of people being hurt. However, he needed to get it across to Harry that he should leave as quickly as possible. Snape needed his son to be safe.

Harry visibly flinched back from the words and curled into himself as much as he could with Nagini wrapped around him. The nasty voice in his head that said he was a burden was crowing in victory at being validated by someone Harry cared for. He heard Severus sigh and then a surprisingly gentle hand cupped his cheek and forced him to look up at its owner.

"Harry...I need you to be safe. Please. Do not fight me on this," Snape said, his dark eyes pleading. Nagini slipped off of Harry then and slithered between Harry's feet.

" _Come, Hatchling. We should leave as your sire says._ " Harry nodded slowly and began to follow Nagini and Severus without any further complaints. The closer they got to the Great Hall, the more on edge Severus felt. His shoulders were tensing involuntarily as if sensing an impending attack.

Once they reached the large double doors a great commotion erupted. Lucius and some of Harry's friends hurried over to them. Harry was happy to see Sirius and Remus were there and looking relatively unharmed.

"Severus, there's been an attack at the Ministry." Harry only had half an ear open to Lucius's conversation with Severus, as the man explained that some of Dumbledore's followers launched an attack at the Ministry aimed at those trying to escape from Hogwarts. The other half of Harry's attention was on his friends.

"Whoa, Mate. How did Nagini get here," Ron asked. Harry didn't really have the energy or desire to explain what he really didn't understand so he simply said:

"Magic." The next moment Bill, Charlie and the Twins tried to hurry past them.

"What's going on," Ron demanded. His brothers looked very worried. The Twins stopped as Bill and Charlie continued on past them and out towards the main entrance of the school.

"Ginny's missing," George said gravely.

"She was in Hogsmeade when all this started," Fred continued.

"She must have snuck out, because Bill and Charlie revoked her access," George scowled.

"We thought she'd already been evacuated," Fred huffed, running a hand through his bright red hair.

"Cho Chang said she saw her coming in with them to the Great Hall," George explained hurriedly.

"But she never grabbed a portkey to go the Ministry and now we can't find her," Fred finished. With that the Twins ran off after their older brothers throwing a " _Stay here!_ " over their shoulders.

Hermione and Neville grabbed Ron's arms to prevent him from chasing his brothers down. Harry tried to talk some sense into his best friend, ignoring how hypocritical of him it was.

"It's better for you to stay here, Ron. They can't be worried about Ginny and you at the same time. It would just make the situation worse." Ron glared at Harry.

"Like you wouldn't try running off to help! They're all I've got left! I don't have anyone else!" Harry knew Ron was just scared and desperate to help but the venom in Ron's words hurt a little. Before Harry could respond or Hermione could chastise Ron, Sirius and Remus came over.

"Why don't we all calm down. Ron, you've got to trust that your brothers will get Ginny back to safety," Remus said. Harry took in the dark bruises and cuts on Remus's face. The werewolf saw his pup's concern and offered the boy and small smile. "Just a few bumps and scrapes. I'll be good as new tomorrow." Remus's eyes spotted the gash on Harry's temple and he reached out to move Harry's tangled hair out of the way to get a better look.

"I've got some salve for that, I think," Sirius suddenly said and began rifling through his pockets. Harry soon found himself being mother henned by his godfather and he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed.

"No! Grawp! I can't leave my brother! Grawp, it's okay! Don't hurt 'im!" The sound of Hagrid screaming caught everyone's attention. He was being dragged inside by a few Aurors who were clearly struggling to keep him there.

As everyone was focussed on the commotion around them Harry heard something.

" _Harry, I need your help! I can't complete the ritual without you! Come to me and we can finish this!_ " Harry whipped his head around as if he could see the person calling him. A slight haze fell over his mind and he was suddenly certain he knew who was speaking to him.

"Tom," he muttered. A sudden fear and desperate need to find Tom and help him overtook Harry. He reached for their connection but found it fuzzy and overwhelmed at the other end. Despite this discovery, which caused immediate confusion, Harry easily accepted new orders as they came to him. Without a word he spun on his heel and bolted.

Draco caught the motion out of the corner of his eye and called out. Soon, they were all giving chase.

Harry was racing down the corridors following the voice saying he had to get to a safe place.

"Safe place. Safe place…" he muttered to himself as he ran. He didn't notice the people calling for him. He didn't notice the mob of people chasing him. All he knew was he needed to get somewhere safe, help Tom and end the war. It was fortuitous that he knew exactly where to go. A safe place only he and Tom could enter.

Behind him, his benevolent pursuers were calling out and wondering what the hell was going on. As they ran Severus sent off a patronus to the Dark Lord in some effort to alert him of the situation. What made the whole thing even more concerning was they somehow kept losing sight of Harry. Snape's son would turn a corner and when they'd round it not three seconds later he'd be nowhere in sight.

In fact Remus was at the front of the pack working to follow Harry's scent. Everyone in the group had their wands out as paintings from the walls would fall on them and chunks of rubble were getting flung at them by some unseen source. Snape knew logically it couldn't be (wouldn't be) Harry but a small part of him wondered if it was his son's wild magic trying to stop them from chasing him. Either way he wasn't going to let his son run off without warning and like Hell itself was at his heels.

They were making their way to the second floor and Severus saw Hermione and Ron cast concerned looks at one another.

"Where do you think he is going," he demanded of them. As they rounded another corner Ron cursed.

"The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is just up ahead, in the girls bathroom," Hermione answered, a grim look on her face.

"Why the bloody hell would he want to go down there," Draco scowled.

"None of us saw anyone else talk to him. He's impervious to Imperious. You know he only runs off like this when he's doing his "hero thing,"" Hermione started listing off. They all rushed into the girls bathroom and sure enough the sink was moved out of the way and Harry was nowhere to be seen. "Only he and Tom are able to enter the Chamber, so Tom probably called to him through their connection."

"The Dark Lord would not call Harry off on his own in the middle of the battle. He wanted us to get you all out and to safety," Lucius growled. He pulled his son back from the edge of the hole as Draco leaned over to look down into the dark abyss.

"He didn't go down there alone," came an irritatingly familiar voice over in the stalls.

"Look, Myrtle, we're kind of busy so maybe-" Ron startled as Moaning Myrtle burst from a nearby toilet and started screaming in his face.

"I KNOW NOBODY HAS TIME FOR MOANING MYRTLE! NOBODY EVER HAS TIME FOR MOANING MYRTLE!" Suddenly she shied back and started speaking calmly again. "But Harry always takes time to talk to me. He's always nice and cares about my feelings." She looked at Severus. "Someone followed him down the dark hole. Someone even I couldn't see. Harry didn't even say hi to me when I saw him and he always says hi to me."

"So not a ghost," Neville suddenly said. He looked at Ron and Hermione. "Does Harry still have his invisibility cloak?" Hermione paled.

"No, he doesn't. It was in his trunk which was left at the Weasley's when Dumbledore took him away at the beginning of summer. It disappeared the next day." Hermione shared a look with Ron. "It showed back up at Grimmauld Place, right? After Harry was "saved" from the Dark Lord?" Ron nodded along slowly as the memories came back to him.

"And we left it behind again when he suddenly had to run."

"Albus," Sirius growled, and the next moment he jumped down the hole leading to the Chamber. Remus tried to catch him but was just a moment too late. Snape grabbed Remus's sleeve and pulled him back.

"Lupin, go back and get whoever you can to help. We'll need serious back up. Faculty if you can. Perhaps together we can compel the Chamber to open." Remus hesitated only a moment before complying with the order. Severus then turned to the children. Before he could speak Neville interrupted him.

"We're going with you. If you order us to stay up here we'll just follow you down a minute later." Snape blinked at the boy's audacity before throwing his hands up.

"Very well, but you will stay behind us and if we say run you will damn well do it!" Once he got their word, the adults jumped down the hole first, followed quickly by the students. All that was going through Ron's head was:

" _There better not be another bloody Basilisk down there._ "

Of course, none of them had seen Nagini slipping down the hole long before any of them.

* * *

 **I try to think of new ways to keep all my ideas involved in the story but also wrap up every loose end and it just keeps leading to more chapters!**

 **Please review! :)**


	53. Chapter 53

Fickle Fate: Chapter 53

 **Yay, I'm actually on time! Thankfully this chapter was not as hard for me to write. Somehow this story just keeps getting longer...what started as a simple, ironic/crack-ish writing exercise has turned into my longest story yet. What the heck?! XD I'm glad you are all enjoying it and thank you for the lovely reviews!**

 **Also I apologize this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but it seemed like a natural stopping point.**

 **Warnings:** **Poor attempts at violence, soo trust me nothing graphic but I figured I'd warn you anyway**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Destruction**

Harry stumbled along down the dark, dank cavern. He tripped over rocks and bones without a care, only knowing that he had to help Tom complete the ritual and end the war. A very (very) small part of him questioned why he was doing all this, but the majority of his consciousness was telling him it was the right thing to do.

When the young man reached the entrance he hissed at the metal snakes, and soon enough he was inside, the door closing ominously behind him. His mouth pulled down into a frown when he didn't see Tom.

"Tom? Where are you?" His fingers clenched tightly on the bag containing the diadem as his eyes saw the Basilisk carcass. Something felt off, like-

 _"I'll be there soon, Harry, but I need you to start the ritual._ " Harry reared back in confusion.

"But I don't know how and I don't have a wand," he spoke aloud.

" _You don't need a wand. And don't worry, I'll give you the words. I need your help with this, Harry. Please._" Whatever doubts Harry had were fuzzy now and he nodded readily.

"Alright." He opened the bag and unceremoniously dumped the diadem on the ground. The horcrux audibly hissed in ire and indignation at being treated so carelessly. It began to create similar apparitions as it did in the Room of Requirement but Harry paid them no attention.

As promised the ritualistic words were provided to him by the voice in his mind. Harry began chanting and the magical pressure in the chamber increased five-fold. Within moments Harry was sweating and trembling with exertion. The soul shard within the diadem fought viciously and Harry's wild magic struggled to contain and control such a powerful ritual.

He screamed in pain when the horcrux lashed out at his own soul. It was enough to jar him from whoever (or _whatever_ ) had a hold on his mind and he was jolted with fear. Unfortunately, he knew the dangers of stopping in the middle of a ritual and tried to continue. The horcrux sensed this new weakness and fought even harder to throw off Harry's concentration. The pain of the ritual trying to combine the soul shard in Harry with the one from the diadem drove the boy to his knees.

"Harry!" A great bolt of relief flooded Harry as he heard Tom call out for him. He didn't dare turn his eyes away from the thrashing horcrux but he heard Tom stutter to a stop and curse rather violently.

Tom took a moment to take in the situation and center himself. He'd been confused and worried when he received Severus's Patronus. When he had reached for his connection to Harry to check on the boy it felt fuzzy and smothered, as if someone had thrown a blanket over it. While Tom couldn't effectively contact the young man on the other end, it was still strong enough for Tom to use as a tracking device. He had followed the connection down to the Chamber of Secrets. Being one of the few people who had been to the Chamber before, Tom knew other ways in and found one much closer to his previous location than the second floor bathroom.

The Dark Lord didn't know what happened but the smothering influence on their connection was gone. Now the connection between him and the boy was strong and flooding with Harry's fear, confusion and desperation. Tom knew he didn't have time to focus on the why's and how's of the situation. Instead he cautiously approached, wand at the ready.

"Harry, I need you to keep doing what you are doing. I am going to try and take over in a couple moments. When you feel my magic enter the ritual don't fight it. You'll know when to pull away. You can do this." He saw Harry's frantic nod though the boy didn't verbally acknowledge him. Tom waited briefly for a proper opening and then swiftly and seamlessly ingratiated himself into the ritual.

The horcrux fought harder now that there were two wizards attempting to retrieve the soul shard. It kept lashing out at the weaker of the two and was gaining ground. Tom grit his teeth as he pushed more power into the ritual to finish it before the horcrux did serious damage to Harry. Luckily, he could feel that the moment Harry would be able to pull away was approaching in mere seconds and then he would be able to finish the ritual with a few more sentences.

Both wizards had their full attention and power wrapped up in the ritual. As such, they didn't notice the danger they were in. Someone else did, however.

Harry's magic was draining by the minute and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. However, the more power Tom pushed in the more Harry felt the tug on his soul weaken. Sweat was dripping down his face until finally-

"Ahh!" Harry screamed as he was finally able to break away from the ritual. His entire body trembled in pain and exhaustion. His green eyes watched the Dark Lord work to subdue the final inanimate horcrux but then something gleamed out of the corner of his eye.

"Tom!" He watched from the cold ground as everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Dumbledore suddenly appeared beside Tom, Harry's invisibility cloak slipping from his shoulders and the Sword of Gryffindor raised to strike the Dark Lord down while he was utterly vulnerable. The sword never made contact with Tom, however. Just as Albus swung, Tom finished the ritual and moved to duck. Harry knew Tom wouldn't be fast enough. Then he saw Nagini practically fly through the air aiming her deadly fangs right for Dumbledore.

The Headmaster saw the snake at the last second and changed the Sword's trajectory. As the Sword came down, instead of killing Tom, it sliced right through Nagini, allowing the Dark Lord to get completely out of the way.

Nagini's body disintegrated and Tom and Harry both felt the pain on their souls as the third in their connection was murdered. A cry of anguish escaped from both of them. Harry could only make out the watery outline of the crazed Headmaster through the tears swimming in his eyes.

The Headmaster growled in irritation.

"You are both far too stubborn in your desire to keep living," he yelled.

"Wh-what…" was all Harry could stammer out as he tried to wrap his mind around everything he'd just witnessed. Dumbledore sneered at them as his two enemies laid on the floor exhausted and unable to truly defend themselves.

"You may be impervious to the _Imperius_ curse, Boy, but a simple compulsion spell to make you do something you already wanted to do and you were mine. Mimicking Tom's voice so only you could hear him "call to you" was child's play. It was all too easy to use you as bait to lure in Voldemort. The ritual weakened both of you so much a first year could off you. The bloody snake got in the way but no matter. We've simply done things a little out of order." Albus used the tip of the Sword of Gryffindor to force Tom to lift his chin and meet his eyes. "I want you to watch as I finish what you started."

Albus turned towards Harry and gripped the handle of the sword tight. Tom struggled to stand as he realized what the Headmaster intended.

"No! Nooo," Tom screamed. Harry didn't even have the strength to try and drag himself away as Dumbledore raised the sword to kill him. The Gryffindor refused to beg for his life, knowing it would only give the Headmaster satisfaction, and closed his eyes. He thought of his mum and braced himself.

His eyes bolted open when Dumbledore screamed in rage. He saw as the Sword of Gryffindor slowly vanished from Dumbledore's grasp. Just then the door to the Chamber started to grind open. Harry whipped his head around and saw his friends and family standing in the entrance, wands at the ready.

He could only think he was happy to see them one more time...before a flash of green blinded his vision.

* * *

Severus could hear Sirius barreling through the caverns ahead of them. The man was clearly not going for stealth but for speed. The Potions Master couldn't necessarily blame the animagus for wanting to get to Harry as quickly as possible. On the other hand, it was useless to run quicker when they wouldn't be able to get in to the Chamber of Secrets anyway.

Sure enough, when they finally reached the end of the passageway Sirius was pacing restlessly in front of an ornate door decorated, unsurprisingly, with metal snakes.

Severus and Lucius stepped forward to examine the door as Sirius continued to pace. The Potion Master's eye twitched as the animagus kept muttering viciously under his breath and distracting Snape from the matter at hand.

"Would you shut your mouth, Black," Severus snapped. "If you can't be useful then at least be quiet!" Sirius stopped and simply shot Severus an unimpressed look.

"I know you're just trying to deflect from your own worry and fear by being angry with me. I deal with my fear by being impulsive and you lash out. Focus on opening the door and getting to Harry." When he found himself at the receiving end of a number of shocked stares, Sirius rolled his eyes. "I've been learning stuff in my Mind Healer sessions. I'm not stupid," he muttered sheepishly.

Snape decided the better part of valor (and the more important thing at the moment) was to not reply and, like Black suggested, focus on opening the door to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Salazar Slytherin likely placed several booby traps in the door if anyone tried to force it open, especially if it was someone not of pure magical heritage," Lucius said as his wand lifted to start scanning for said booby traps.

"Or he believed his Basilisk was enough to safeguard it," Severus replied. "Hopefully with more Hogwarts faculty we can call upon the magic of the castle and convince the Chamber to open." There was a sudden uptick in muttering from behind them and Severus cast an annoyed glance over his shoulder.

The students that accompanied them (against his better judgement) were clearly arguing about something. Ron Weasley seemed to be at the center of whatever the debate was and he finally saw Severus glaring at them. Draco shoved Ron forward and the redhead flipped the young Slytherin the bird.

"I think I know a way to open it," Ron finally spat out. Severus growled and spun to fully face the boy.

"And you didn't think to mention this before," he snarled. Ron's cheeks turned rosy red but he refused to rise to the bait.

"I was thinking of how Harry said he got in last time. Parseltongue." Lucius raised a brow as Severus huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, well, that would be quite helpful right now but no one here is a descendent of Salazar Slytherin with that ability," the Malfoy Lord said before Snape could make a scathing comment. Ron threw his hands up in frustration.

"I know that! But Harry talks in his sleep!" Hermione sighed and dropped her head in her hand as Ron continued to make a good idea sound stupid.

"What Ronald means is he has heard Harry mutter Parseltongue in his sleep enough that he thinks he can mimic it to make the door open," she clarified. Ron crossed his arms and glared at the ground.

"That's what I was saying," he muttered sullenly. He suddenly found himself pulled to stand directly in front of the door to the Chamber.

"Everyone have your wand at the ready in case this works," Snape barked. Ron swallowed nervously, thought of the danger his best friend was in and then started making a series of odd hissing noises.

For a moment nothing happened and Ron was sure his idea had failed. But then the snakes on the door started to move and one by one pull back to unlock. He was once again yanked about though this time it was so he was behind the adults.

After what felt like ages the door opened fully and they all took in the scene before them. Every single one of them screamed as they saw the Killing Curse blast from Dumbledore's wand and strike Harry down.

* * *

 **Don't hate me! I've had this idea for a while and have been going back and forth on whether to move forward with it. I decided to go with it. I'm sorry!**

 **Please review! :)**


	54. Chapter 54

Fickle Fate: Chapter 54

 **Ugh was this chapter stop and start! But hey, it's finished! Not much to say except I hope you enjoy! Also, I'm just gonna apologize now: I'm absolutely exhausted and didn't proofread this chapter very well before posting.**

 **Warnings:** **Just...a lot of feels. Yeah, that's it.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Reunions Part 1**

It was so bright when Harry opened his eyes. He groaned and rubbed harshly at his eyeballs as if that would make the light dim to a more manageable level. He tried to remember what was going on. Had he taken a nap in the Common Room? Did he fall asleep in the backyard doing chores at the Dursleys'?

"Honey, it's time to get up. Come on, Love." Harry's face scrunched up in confusion at the new voice. It sounded familiar though he wasn't sure why. It certainly wasn't a voice he was used to hearing. With considerable effort Harry opened his eyes.

Harry flinched back from the figure leaning over him until his vision cleared. Kneeling next to where he lay (the ground it seemed) was a beautiful woman with fiery red hair and bright green eyes that matched his own. Harry didn't want to blink in case it was just a dream and he'd wake up if he closed his eyes again. Lily smiled at her boy.

"Hello, Harry." Harry choked down the sob that wanted to break free of his throat and instead threw himself at his mum, tackling her in a bear hug. Lily laughed into his hair though she clung to him just as tightly. One of her hands came up to pet his hair and she slowly started rocking him back and forth as they hugged on the ground. "Oh my beautiful, brave boy. I'm so proud of you, Harry."

Harry didn't say anything. After so many years wishing he could speak to his mother he didn't have any words left for the moment he actually met her. He didn't even notice that tears had been sliding down his cheeks the whole time until they finally released each other and Lily gently wiped them away. He closed his eyes when she kissed his forehead.

"Now, come on, Harry. Let's get off the ground. There's someone else here who'd like to see you." Harry didn't take his eyes off of his mother even as he took her hand and stood. What he could see from the corners of his eyes was all white, like an empty vast space without end.

"Harry." Harry finally took his eyes off of Lily to see the person who had called for him. There standing in front of him was James Potter, smiling as bright as Lily had when she had seen him. Harry opened his mouth to cry "Dad!" and yet...he hesitated. He knew the truth now and he wondered if he was...allowed to call this man Dad. He had believed James Potter was his father for most of his life and had always referred to him as such.

James seemed to understand his dilemma and instead of waiting for a reply, simply pulled Harry into a strong hug. Like with Lily, Harry clung to James as if he was the only thing holding him together. Eventually James pulled away but he held onto Harry's shoulders, his eyes scanning every inch of the boy in front of him.

"You've grown up well, kiddo. I couldn't ask for a better godson." Harry jolted for a minute, having forgotten that Remus and Severus had told him James had performed the godfather ritual when he was born. It was an odd shift in his mind, moving James into the same category as Sirius, however he found it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. It also helped that it meant he could keep his fatherly feelings towards James without feeling terribly guilty.

"Honey," Lily said close to his ear. "I can tell you that Severus wouldn't be upset if you continued to refer to James as Dad. I've been keeping an eye on both of you and he understands that you were raised believing James was your father. It would also honor the sacrifice he made when you were a baby." Though she meant it to comfort and soothe his inner turmoil, the mention of their deaths sent Harry realing into a pit of shame and despair.

"I-I'm so sorry," he suddenly blurted out. "I'm so sorry you died because of me." For some reason it was only at that point that it actually hit him. " _Merlin_ , I'm dead too, aren't I?" For just a moment that brought its own wave of despair bit then he realized, "Does that mean I get to stay with you two?"

Lily and James looked like they had a severe case of whiplash trying to keep up with Harry's intense mood swings. Lily was the first to break out of her stupor and put on her best irritated mom look.

"Now you listen to me, young man, we did not die 'because of you'. We died because of some ridiculous prophecy and a war that should never have been." She stepped forward and cupped Harry's face in her hands. "You were an absolute gift to your father and I, and then later to James as well. We did not die because of you but _for_ you. We wouldn't change a thing if it meant you still got to live." James came over and wrapped an arm around Lily and one around Harry to pull them all together.

"Your mum is right, Harry. We love you and you shouldn't be carrying our deaths around like a noose. Do you understand that?" Once he got Harry's nod, James cleared his throat and stepped back a bit. "Right, now as for your other questions...you're not _really_ dead."

"What," Harry asked, face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well, you're only _mostly_ dead and-" James was cut off by Lily's sharp elbow to the gut.

"Do not quote that ridiculous movie. I never should have let you watch that with Cedric," Lily scolded.

"You can watch films here? Wait...Cedric?" Harry's head was spinning. A bench suddenly appeared and Harry found himself sandwiched between Lily and James, two hands rubbing up and down his back in comfort.

"Deep breaths, Honey. It's okay. Deep breaths," Lily uttered soothingly. Once Harry had calmed down, they all sat in silence for a bit, everyone gathering their thoughts.

"I don't suppose we're doing a great job of this, huh, kiddo," James asked in a self-deprecating tone. "Harry, there's so much we want to tell you and while we'd love to have you stay here with us…" James looked to Lily for support.

"It's not your time, Baby," she said. Harry let out a shuddering breath and tried to speak past his tightening throat.

"A part of me figured as much." He almost said that he knew it was "too good to be true" and then realized that staying with his _parents_ (for lack of a better word) meant he'd wouldn't see Ron or Hermione or Sirius or Severus or even Draco again until they all died as well. It was in that moment that he truly realized he  wanted to keep living.

Lily saw the change in her boy and a sad smile graced her face as she gently brushed some hair away from his face.

"You have so much more to do, Harry. We love you but you need to live your life without our shadows darkening your smile." Harry smiled at them both, a small sad thing, and nodded. Then he took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"So what did you mean I'm only 'mostly dead'? Also, I'm assuming you have some suggestions as to how I should live my life? Specifically right when I get back?" James winked at Lily over Harry's head.

"Gets his smarts from his mum, I see." Lily rolled her eyes in fond amusement. She laid an arm over Harry's shoulders and tugged him into her side. Harry didn't fight it at all though he seemed unsure what to do with the physical affection. Not for the first time, Lily cursed Petunia and Vernon for what they'd done to her boy.

"Well, Darling, what James meant is that when that fool Dumbledore hit you with the _Killing Curse_ he killed the horcrux shard inside of you and your soul...came along for the ride, more or less. Since you're not truly dead, you can't stay here. We've been granted special permission to speak with you for a bit and explain some things." Harry nodded along as his mother spoke.

She sighed and bit her bottom lip as she tried to organize her thoughts in her head. After a few moments it came to her. She would get to do what she hadn't done in years: tell her son a bedtime story.

"Harry, are you familiar with The Tales of Beedle the Bard?" She wasn't surprised when Harry shook his head, though a bitter pang resounded in her chest. If she hadn't...well, those thoughts wouldn't help anyone or change the past. "Well it is a very popular children's book in the Wizarding World and contains a lot of different stories."

"Your mother and I used to read stories from it to you every night before you went to sleep. You didn't understand a word of it but there were nights where you absolutely refused to go down unless we read from it," James said, a nostalgic smile on his face. A similar one bloomed on Lily's face.

"It's true. Now, while most of those stories were made up, fairy tales if you will, one in particular was true: The Tale of the Three Brothers." Harry listened in rapt attention as his mother and James traded off telling him a fantastical tale of how three brothers sought to cheat death and only one prevailed. However, the more he listened the more things started to click in to place.

When Lily finished Harry's brows were pulled together in thought.

"My cloak," he suddenly said, looking to each of them for confirmation. "Dumbledore has it. I don't know about the wand, though Hermione told me once Dumbledore won his wand in a duel against Grindelwald. And before that Grindelwald was considered unbeatable." Again Lily and James nodded. "But...the stone…" Harry thought hard about the third "Deathly Hallow" when it came to him. His hand automatically reached up to his chest where the ring had been sitting all semester. "The ring Tom gave me. I've stared at the strange insignia inside it for hours; I just never knew what it meant."

"You got it, kiddo," James smiled as he nodded. "That is the symbol for the Deathly Hallows." Harry let that information sink in for a minute.

"So that ring...can bring back the dead," he asked quietly. Lily and James both grew sombre and drew Harry close, knowing what their boy was thinking.

"Not in the way you want it to, Love. And the longer you keep the dead with you the more you wish you could join them," Lily said in an equally soft tone.

Eventually Harry nodded and turned back to the more important conversation.

"So these three objects...they are what Luna was talking about in her prophecy? The whole _'No One must hold Three'_ thing? So no one person must hold all three Deathly Hallows because it would make them the Master of Death?" Lily and James nodded emphatically.

"Yes! Exactly that, Harry," James said. "No one, especially Albus Dumbledore, should have that much control over death. It would be the end of the world as you know it," he said solemnly. Harry raised an eyebrow at the rather dramatic declaration and looked to his mum for confirmation. Lily shrugged and nodded.

"I mean he's not wrong. Humans weren't made to hold such power. You can't know the ins and outs of death until you are truly dead and giving that knowledge to someone who has yet to crossover would be devastating." Harry was, perhaps understandably, disturbed by the whole conversation.

"Right. So...don't let anyone, especially Dumbledore, keep all three Hallows. How do I stop him though?" Lily grimaced.

"Unfortunately, you will have to use one of the Hallows to defeat him. The stone. Harry, when you return, you must take hold of the ring and call forth Ariana Dumbledore. She is Albus's sister. Once she's crossed over to your side, only you and Albus will be able to see her. Just point her in the right direction and she'll take care of Albus," his mum explained. Harry looked a little skeptical.

"I just hold it and call for her? You're sure that will work," he asked. James nodded.

"Just like that. You don't know it but when you used the stone to call for help against Dumbledore, you didn't just call for Tom and the others." Harry whipped his head back and forth to look at them both, mouth hanging open.

"I didn't? But...but who came? I didn't see…" Lily brushed some of his unruly hair back from his eyes again.

"It was me, Darling. I stayed out of sight, because I knew it would put you in danger if you suddenly saw me appear. I followed you to the Astronomy Tower and realized what was going to happen. I made myself appear before Fawkes and insisted he be there to catch you. Thankfully it didn't take much convincing on my part." Lily winked at Harry making him smile. "Fawkes likes you."

"Well, I like him too so I guess I should thank him personally next time I see him. So is that it? I just use the stone and get rid of Dumbledore and end the war?" Harry didn't like the sudden mischievous sparkle in James's eye.

"There is one more thing we'll need you to take care of, Harry," he said as he stood and walked off into the bright light, disappearing from view.

"Don't worry, Harry," Lily tried to reassure him. "It's nothing terrible. James is just...still a child at times," she said as she rolled her eyes.

Harry didn't have to worry long. Soon enough James returned with someone else in tow. Harry's jaw dropped and he couldn't help tensing up and reaching for a wand he didn't have.

Standing in front of him and beside a brightly grinning James was a young Tom Riddle who looked identical to the one that was attacking the school his second year. Lily put a hand on Harry's shoulder in comfort and told him it was alright. Once Harry actually took a moment to look at this new Tom he realized the other boy looked different...not quite as evil. Honestly he just looked like an irritated teenager.

"Seeing as this is simply a conglomerate of _some_ of Tom Riddle's soul, he cannot stay here. He has to be returned to the other part of his soul." Trying to speak despite his suddenly dry mouth, Harry swallowed and nodded along to his mother's explanation.

"Okay," he said hesitantly. "And how do I...rejoin them?" James's grin took on a slightly sharper edge.

"Oh, Harry, you're going to love this."

* * *

 **I just really wanted Harry to be able to hug his mum! At least once! Also, Princess Bride reference anyone? ;)**

 **Please review! :)**


	55. Chapter 55

Fickle Fate: Chapter 55

 **The last time I updated it was so fast and I was so tired I didn't get to read the reviews from chapter 53 before posting. I did this time and got to read double the reviews and just...you guys make me smile so hard my cheeks hurt! Thank you so much! Hope it didn't hurt too much waiting for this chapter. ;)**

 **Warnings:** **Just...a lot of feels. Yeah, that's it.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Desperation**

Severus watched as the green bolt of the _Killing Curse_ flew from Dumbledore's wand and struck Harry right in the chest. He watched as his son didn't even see the spell coming and then fell backwards...dead. Snape didn't hear everyone else around him screaming. He didn't see his wand coming up or notice himself bellowing a curse at the old man. He didn't see the children around him suddenly falling into utter despair at seeing their friend/brother die before their eyes.

What Severus _did_ see was the man who murdered his son disappearing with a smug smile on his face. He saw Tom trying to drag himself over to Harry's body in his exhausted state. He saw _Harry's body_ laying on the cold damp ground of the Chamber of Secrets not far from the "Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw".

The Potions Master felt cold, numb as his feet dragged him across the stone floor and over to Harry. He vaguely registered Lucius struggling to hold onto Sirius as the man utterly lost it. Snape finally reached Harry and collapsed to his knees. His dark eyes flicked up and met Tom's. The guilt and sympathy in them was too much for him to comprehend so he quickly turned away from his Lord.

A tear fell from his cheek onto his trembling hand as he reached forward to turn Harry's face towards him. Harry had already started to grow cold (likely due to the chill from the floor seeping into his body) and feeling the icy flesh against his fingertips made it all come crashing down onto Severus. Wretched sobs wracked his body and he clumsily gathered Harry to his chest. He trembled and rocked back and forth in some dark parody of a mother comforting her crying child.

Meanwhile, behind him, Lucius held Sirius against his chest to prevent the man from running off and doing something drastic like he had done the night Lily and James were murdered. Ron was holding Hermione close as she sobbed into his chest and he cried quietly into her hair. Draco and Neville watched everything in a silent shock, Draco gripping Neville's wrist so hard the Gryffindor's hand was going numb.

After what felt like an eternity of despair, and as Severus clutched Harry's lifeless body to his chest, Tom reached forward and clasped Snape's shoulder.

"Severus, we have to leave." Snape didn't look up only clung to Harry as tight as possible. " _Severus_ , you don't have to leave him. We'll take Harry with us, but we can't stay here." That got Severus to look up and meet Tom's eyes. The Dark Lord looked more weary than Severus had ever seen. Somehow that got his attention enough that he was able to pull together some semblance of control. He nodded sharply.

Tom struggled to stand but managed to get to his feet as Snape maneuvered his son's body in his arms. Finally the Potions Master managed to stand with Harry held securely in his grasp.

"I sent a message to the Lestrange brothers and Lupin to wait for us in the Great Hall," Tom spoke to Severus quietly. Then the Dark Lord turned to the crowd still gathered at the entrance to the Chamber. He saw that, thankfully, Sirius had stopped struggling but now he was behaving like a zombie, a shell of a man. "Follow me. I know another way out of here."

Slowly, the group stumbled their way out of the Chamber. Tom's limbs were still shaking from the ritual and the emotional toll of Harry's murder but he pushed on without any help.

By the time they finally reached the surface and found themselves on the first floor near the stairs leading to the dungeons, everyone was silent and numb. No one said a word as they walked towards the Great Hall. Snape kept his eyes straight ahead, clutching at Harry's body but unable to look at it. In his mind he begged for Lily's forgiveness and apologized repeatedly for not being able to protect their son. Severus didn't think he would have noticed that they'd finally reached the Great Hall if they weren't suddenly mobbed by faculty members.

"Dear Merlin! What...what happened," came the distressed cry from Minerva McGonagall. When it was clear that no one would answer Tom spoke softly to the crowd of teachers, Aurors, Madam Bones and more as the crowd around them grew. Remus was staring at the body in Severus's arms and was shaking his head in denial before Tom even said anything.

"Albus Dumbledore...has killed Harry Potter." Tom closed his eyes as cries of despair and anger and denial echoed harshly across the room and rippled through the crowd. Remus fell to his knees and howled in anguish. The sound actually got Sirius to shake out of his daze a little. The Black Lord joined Lupin on the floor and they clung to each other. Tonks, who had arrived as an Auror to get the children to safety rather than fight for Dumbledore, wandered over to the pair slowly as if unsure of her welcome. She knelt by them and simply held one of Remus's hands; her hair was a dull brown in her grief.

Madam Bones, though visibly shaken by the news, managed to gather her wits quickly. She eyed the Dark Lord, strongly suspecting who he was but not having the time to care. It was a judgement call but she decided to trust him.

"Some of his followers ambushed those we evacuated to the Ministry so we stopped sending people through. Just when we got word that the Aurors had managed to capture them all, the wards on the school slammed shut, tripling in strength. No one can get in or out," she reported grimly. Tom took the information in with a frustrated scowl on his face.

He searched the room for the Weasley Twins and they approached when he beckoned them over. The Dark Lord was not encouraged by the identical defeated looks on their faces.

"We tried using _our_ Portkey…"

"But even that didn't work."

"We based it off of the original wards."

"He's altered them somehow..."

"Like he attached his life force to the wards…"

"Making them extra powerful."

"We're sorry…" George finished softly. Their red rimmed eyes told Tom that the young man wasn't just apologizing for not being able to get their invention to work. He knew the Weasley boys saw Harry as a younger brother. No doubt they feel they failed to protect him.

"We'll find another way. Even if it means killing the fool that attached himself to the wards," Tom said. Madam Bones gave him a quelling look.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she muttered, though a part of her was very much inclined to pretend she won't see the man murdered...or even help commit the act. While Tom continued to talk strategy with Madame Bones and a few of her top Aurors, Minerva and Filius approached Severus.

"Severus, I think you should sit. You've gone through a terrible shock," Minerva said, keeping her voice steady even while a tear escaped. Snape clung to Harry tighter as if they were going to take his son's body from him.

"No one is going to take him from you, Severus," Filius assured him. "We just don't want you to get hurt." With a little more coaxing Snape managed to be persuaded to take a seat at one of dining benches. He cradled Harry in his arms and Minerva subtly ushered Madam Pomfrey over to check Snape's health.

Remus's head whipped up when he heard Pomfrey fussing over the Potions Master. The werewolf pulled away from his best friend and Tonks and crawled over to kneel in front of the man.

"Oh, Pup…" Remus whimpered out. He reached forward and grabbed hold of Harry's hand. Those watching the scene were surprised Snape let the other man close but the Potions Master did not see Remus as a threat in this instance. He knew the grieving man, and Sirius, also considered Harry their son and he would not keep them from mourning the boy.

Ron looked around, still holding tight to Hermione, and finally spotted his brothers. Bill and Charlie were moving towards them quickly, Ginny in tow. Charlie quickly wrapped both Ron and Hermione up as Bill was currently wrapped around a crying Ginny. When the trio broke apart Ron really looked at his little sister.

"You okay, Gin?" His voice was weak but he didn't care. Ginny somehow managed to tuck herself closer to Bill.

"She went out to try and fight the spiders off thinking her friend was still out there. She got caught by a rogue Death Eater and...put under the _Cruciatus_ for a little bit before we got to her," Bill said quietly. Ron grimaced at the thought of his little sister being tortured like that, even if they had had a severe falling out over Harry. He tried to give her a sympathetic look.

"I'm really sorry, Gin," he said. Ginny gave him a bitter smile and she shrugged shakily as if to brush the whole incident off.

"I'm...sorry about Harry," she said in response and Ron could only nod in acknowledgement, his throat tight with emotion. It was strange to him. It was as if, despite _everything else_ , this was the moment that made him realize their world was in the midst of a war.

Their group was soon joined by the Twins who looked utterly despondent, both over the death of Harry and being unable to help everyone escape with their invention. The small Weasley clan, plus Hermione, huddled together for comfort, hoping a way out would present itself soon.

As luck would have it...things exploded right at that moment. Literally.

Magical wind blew through the Great Hall bringing dust and debris with it, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. Sconces and statues exploded around them sending sharp and heavy chunks of stone flying about. Students screamed and the adults tried to shield them all while ducking for cover themselves.

Severus threw himself over Harry's body to protect it from injury. When there was a brief lull in the attack (a magically enhanced evil cackle now echoed about the room), he laid Harry's body beneath a table for safety. Everyone looked about with their wands drawn as Dumbledore's laugh bounced around.

"I'd kill him just for the dramatics," Minerva muttered, eyes alight with the need for vengeance. She heard Remus growl beside her and knew she and many others would have to get in line behind the enraged werewolf to take a bite out of the Headmaster.

More screams erupted around the room as tapestries and tattered tablecloths suddenly sprung to life and tied most of the room's occupants up and hung them from the ceiling. The adults left standing scowled in indignation at the terrified children hanging dangerously high above them.

Ron, Hermione, Draco and Neville struggled as hard as possible against their restraints and Ron couldn't help but be proud of the curses spilling from Ginny's mouth as she too tried to fight her way free. A pile of fallen wands formed in a corner of the room and a shield was erected around them.

Only Tom and a few other adults on his "side" were left standing. The Dark Lord rolled his eyes so hard he gave himself a headache.

"I am done with you, Old Man! Show yourself and fight! You'd rather torment children than face me!" The demented laughter got louder and louder until there was a small, contained explosion at the front of the room. The blow-back of debris forced the standing wizards to cover their eyes and when it was safe for them to look, they saw him.

Standing on the raised platform where the faculty's dining table usually stood was Albus Dumbledore. He had a look of triumph on his face, Harry's invisibility cloak draped over his shoulders like a cape and the Elder Wand held aloft in his hand. The Headmaster truly looked like a mad man with his infamous eye twinkle and evil smirk.

"Oh, Tom. Still acting the part of powerful man, when you are nothing but a desperate orphan. Behold the Great Lord Voldemort!" Albus shouted and gesticulated like a ring leader at a circus. His declaration managed to draw a few gasps from the unwilling audience but most were either more concerned about Albus or already knew. "If only you and Harry continued to play your parts we wouldn't be here. Harry would have died a hero rather than a useless brat too desperate for affection he'd believe anyone who said a kind word," he continued mockingly.

As he'd intended his words caused Remus to snap and Severus to lash out. Albus batted the lunging werewolf out of the air with his magic and blocked Snape's _Cutting Hex_ with barely a flick of his wrist.

"What could you possibly hope to gain you deranged fool," Tom asked in utter disbelief. There was a time when he knew he shared the same blood thirst and need for power but with the majority of his soul returned he couldn't wrap his mind around Dumbledore's madness.

"Simply: Power. Specifically: Power over death. I already have two of the three Hallows. Once I have the third I will be Master of Death and I will extend my reach past the Wizarding World and across the globe." A series of confused looks passed over those in the room. Lucius was the first to vocalize his thoughts.

"The Deathly Hallows? That's a children's' story!" Albus scowled and blasted a few curses at the Malfoy Lord that Lucius was only just able to dodge.

"They are very real and once I have all three I will give this world the leader it deserves! Don't you see?! This world needs order and if some must perish, then it is all for the greater good!" Tom decided he had listened to the old man long enough and attacked. Soon spells were flying left and right. Flitwick and Minerva who'd managed to escape getting caught up in the drapery focused their efforts on shielding those hanging above them. Everyone else (Tom, Lucius, Severus, Remus, Sirius and the Lestrange brothers) fought with all they had but Dumbledore blocked every single spell and sent ones back that were twice as deadly.

The Dark Lord knew the Headmaster was also drawing on power from the school since he had tied himself to the school's natural magic and wards. Rodolphus went down with a cry and Remus followed soon after. Tom felt genuine fear for the first time in a long time and didn't know what to do.

He knew they would lose and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

 **I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not good at battle scenes! Anyway I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and the new cliffhanger. ;) See you in 2 weeks!**

 **Please review! :)**


	56. Chapter 56

Fickle Fate: Chapter 56

 **Guys! I didn't expect it to happen but this is the second to last chapter! The next will be a long-ish epilogue to wrap up loose ends but this is it! I can't believe it! This story was just supposed to be fun and silly and it turned into my longest story ever. Thank you so much to everyone who stuck it out with me and gave this insane thing a chance. :)**

 **Warnings:** **Just...a lot of feels. Yeah, that's it.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Reunions Part 2**

Harry was wrapped up in James's and Lily's arms one moment, soaking in as much love as he could, and the next he was blinking his eyes open to see...wood? He panicked immediately thinking he was in a coffin, that he had been buried alive. Harry sat bolt upright and whacked his head hard. A grimace twisted his face up but it got him to pause.

Looking around him he realized he wasn't in a coffin but under a table, a table he recognized. He heard spells going off and people yelling in pain and fear and anger. With one last annoyed rub over the goose egg forming on his head, he rolled over onto his stomach to try and peak out at what was going on. It wasn't good.

Dumbledore was at the front of the room practically un-phased by the spells shot at him and he was quickly gaining ground as Harry's friends and family were getting injured and falling to the ground. Remembering what he had to do, Harry's hand felt over his chest for the ring. Thankfully, it was still there, hanging from its chain and sitting under his shirt. Harry reached in and pulled it out. Looking at the stone in the center Harry felt a moment of indecision.

He knew he was supposed to use it to end the war and then destroy it, but...then he wouldn't see his mum or James again, not until he died. Harry knew after this there was no way he'd even be let _outside_ again in case he croaked. A small brush of comfort suddenly rolled over him as if emanating from the stone and Harry knew it was his mum, telling him it would be okay. With renewed resolve, Harry took firm hold of the ring, squeezing his fist so tightly the sharp corners of the stone dug painfully into his skin. He brought his fist close to his lips, closed his eyes and whispered,

"I call forth Ariana Dumbledore." He couldn't explain the feeling that came over him. It was like he had called forth a deep ancient power; a chill passed over him. Harry opened his eyes and startled so badly he dropped the ring and scuttled back a couple feet.

There sitting in front of him was a young girl with a small smile on her face. She looked...grey. Not quite like the ghosts that wandered the halls of Hogwarts but like she had stepped out of a black and white movie. She cocked her head at him curiously and Harry realized he'd yet to say anything.

"Ariana?" Her smile got a little bigger and she nodded. Harry thought it odd that she wasn't speaking but wasn't going to press the issue. "I was told you would help me end this. Will you help me?" Ariana's smile dimmed into one of resignation but she nodded nonetheless. "Thank you," Harry said. He wondered if it hurt her to see her brother turn into the madman he was today.

Harry held out his hand to the girl and she took it. Together they crawled out from their safe haven under the dining table. Harry surveyed the scene before him and wondered, of course now that he was out in the open, how he would get Ariana up to Dumbledore safely. She couldn't be hurt given she was already dead, but he certainly could.

Deciding to do something stupid, though less stupid than running into a battle without a wand, Harry opened his mouth.

"Excuse me!" Everyone froze. _Everyone_. Harry tried not to shrink into himself as suddenly all eyes were on him. No one spoke. Even Dumbledore stood there struck dumb. The young Gryffindor cleared his throat awkwardly. "I have someone here for you, Dumbledore." Without prompting and with a parting smile, Ariana released Harry's hand and walked up the aisle slowly towards her brother.

Now all eyes were on the ghostly figure.

"Ariana," Albus croaked out, stunned and trembling slightly upon seeing his beloved, dead sister. Everyone watched as the young, deceased girl walked forward, her steps making no sound. A small, sad smile never left her face and she kept her eyes on her brother the whole time. "But...but you're…"

It was then that Albus realized how this was possible. He swung his mad gaze back to Harry and lifted the Elder Wand.

"You have the stone! Give it to me!" Harry's mind flashed back to his first year, and he saw Quirrell reaching out to him, demanding the Sorcerer's Stone. He took a frightened step back as Albus opened his mouth to curse him.

Suddenly, a small pale hand grabbed onto Albus's wrist. Ariana had gone from being in the middle of the Great Hall to Dumbledore's side in a blink. Her fingers curled around Albus's wrist and tightened gently as she slowly pulled his arm down.

"That's enough, Alby," she said. She spoke softly but the Great Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"But...Ariana...I could bring you back. I could make the world better with no death and…" Ariana brought her other hand up and laid a finger on Albus's lips to quiet him while shaking her head.

"That's not how the world is meant to be," she countered. Her hand, still around his wrist, slipped down and took hold of the Elder Wand. With surprisingly little fight from the Headmaster, Ariana took the wand from his grasp and threw it down the length of the Great Hall. Harry caught it and meeting Ariana's expectant gaze he nodded. The snap of the Elder Wand breaking in half echoed around the large room.

"NO!" Dumbledore tried to rush towards Harry but Ariana was a lot stronger than she looked. She held her brother in place and forced him to look at her.

"It's time to go, Alby." Albus tried to shake his head but Ariana wouldn't even allow that much movement from him. Harry could just see the glimmer of tears in both of their eyes and a sudden unexpected pang of sympathy hit him. "I love you, Alby," she said, her voice cracking. Then she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the Headmaster's forehead.

A bright light enveloped them both, and it became so bright everyone had to cover their eyes. A few seconds later the light was gone, and so were Albus and Ariana.

For a moment nobody moved or made a sound. And then there was a ruckus coming from the ceiling. Everyone who had been magically strung up by tapestries, banners and tablecloths were slowly being lowered to the ground and released. Faculty and Aurors rushed around to check on the students to make sure that no one was seriously injured.

Harry suddenly felt very odd standing there in the middle of the Great Hall. He could feel the adrenaline fading as aches and pains made themselves known. The young man was standing there rather lost one moment and the next was squashed against Snape's chest. The Potions Master had flown across the room as soon as it was clear the battle was over and snatched his son up in the tightest embrace he could manage.

Tears fell into his hair as Severus silently wept in joy. The Potions Master was overwhelmed with relief almost not believing that Harry was real. As he hugged his very real son, he sent up a prayer of thanks to Lily, for he knew she had something to do with this. Severus let out a shaky breath when Harry returned the embrace just as strongly. He let himself bask in the moment of holding his son, alive and well, even as he could feel others start to close in. Finally, he forced himself to pull back. Snape pressed a kiss to Harry's hair before stepping back to let other people check on the boy.

Unsurprisingly, Harry was tackled by both Ron and Hermione the next moment. He let out a startled laugh as he was enveloped. The Trio somehow managed to stay upright and not go crashing to the ground. Harry didn't realize that he was crying along with his best friends until Hermione pulled back a bit and wiped them from his cheeks.

Ron was unashamedly wiping his own tears away when he let out a tired, slightly hysterical huff.

"Mate, is this whole coming back from the dead thing gonna stick or what? You can't do this to me again." Harry barked out a laugh and shrugged.

"I think I've used up all of my freebies. Mum said this was kind of a special case." His friends gaped at him and then he realized what he said.

"Harry...you talked to your mum," Hermione asked quietly. Harry could see she was struggling to wrap her head around the idea. "Are you sure...you're sure it wasn't all just...in your head?" She grimaced even as she asked knowing it wasn't necessarily the best time to ask that. Harry only smiled though.

"Even if it was, who says that doesn't make it real?" Before he could get into a philosophical debate with her head went on. "But yeah, I talked to Mum and James. They explained a lot, told me how to defeat Dumbledore...said they loved me and were proud of me." Harry's voice trailed off on the last bit though his friends knew just how much hearing those things meant to him. He had always longed to have his parents tell him they loved him and he'd always wanted to know whether they were proud of who he had become.

"That's...that's awesome, Harry," Ron said, and Harry could tell that his best friend truly meant it. Hermione looked off to the left and pointed to something.

"I think more people want to check on you, Harry. I'd go before they hurt themselves." Harry turned and saw Sirius vibrating where he stood next to Remus, who looked to be fighting his wolf not to come barreling over. His throat tightened with emotion and his feet started rushing him towards the two men without conscious thought.

He was caught easily and held tightly by Sirius and Remus. Harry tried to worry over the injury Remus was clearly sporting but the werewolf would have none of it.

"Oh Merlin, Pup," Remus exhaled shakily. "You were...you were gone and…"

"We thought we lost you forever," Sirius said. Harry could tell his godfather was on the edge of losing it but was proud of him for holding it together. He knew the man had been seeing a mind healer and before that, a day like this would have utterly broken Sirius.

"I...I love you guys," Harry said. For a moment he felt bad for saying it to Sirius and Remus and not his father, but he knew Severus would understand. They had come a long way in their relationship but they were still a bit awkward. Besides, he knew their embrace earlier said the same thing. Remembering something, Harry pulled back from the hug but stayed within reach. He cleared his throat of emotion so it would be easier to talk. "There's...James wanted me to tell you that he loves you and misses you both and he wants to thank you for looking out for me and being supportive of Severus and I having a relationship." He could see they were about to either cry or ask a million questions so he quickly got out the rest of it. "Also, Mum says thank you too for taking care of me when you could and...for not turning me into a Marauder."

Remus let out a bark of laughter wiping the tears about to leave his eyes and Sirius just dragged Harry into another hug.

"Any other messages from the other side, Pup," Remus asked after dragging Harry into a hug of his own. Suddenly Harry grimaced and looked over to Tom who was leaning heavily on Lucius and talking to Madam Bones.

"Yeah, actually. There's one last thing I have to do before destroying the cloak and this stone." Sirius looked like he was about to protest destroying James's cloak but Remus shot him a look and the Black Lord stayed silent. They watched as Harry walked over to Tom with a look of resignation and determination.

Harry stopped next to Lucius and Tom unsure how to interrupt what was clearly an important discussion. Luckily he didn't have to because Madam Bones immediately stopped talking and turned her attention to him.

"I have to say, Young Man, you are quite extraordinary. It won't happen right away but at some point I will need to sit down and discuss all that happened with you." Seeing the worry on his face Madam Bones was quick to reassure him. "It won't be a trial or even an interrogation. I just...need to be made aware of everything that has happened so I can try and get our world back to rights. You won't be in trouble." Harry wasn't entirely convinced but he certainly trusted her more than any other politician he'd spoken to...not that that was saying much.

"Yes, Ma'am. I, uh, I actually need Tom for a minute, if that's okay. Some unfinished business." He met Tom's eyes and hoped he got his point across; with their connection gone it was hard to tell. It seemed luck was on his side and Tom understood. He told Madam Bones and Lucius that he and Harry would be going to the faculty meeting room attached to the Great Hall and then led the way, slowly.

Harry could see that the Dark Lord (ex-Dark Lord?) was exhausted and could barely hold himself up.

"I hope I am allowed to sit for this discussion," Tom said in a surprisingly light tone. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, that'd probably be best actually. You're too bloody tall." Tom raised a brow in question at the odd comment but Harry didn't explain. He would understand soon enough.

Once in private, Tom fell into the first available seat and Harry sighed. A light blush coated his cheeks and Tom only grew more curious. Harry glared at the amused look on Tom's face.

"I need you to...spread your legs," Harry said through gritted teeth. The amused look on Tom's face dropped away to one of horror. When he ran through what he said in his head again Harry got a similar look on his face. "Not like-! Not like that! I mean-! I just need to be able to stand close to you! Don't-! That's so gross!" Harry's face was bright red and Tom felt a wave of relief go over him and didn't contain the tired chuckle at Harry's embarrassment.

"Good. I'm old enough to be your grandfather." Harry's face twisted into a disgusted grimace. He walked closer to Tom until he was standing between his legs and they were mere inches apart.

"If you tell anyone about this I will kill you," he said. "Now, give me your hands." Tom did as asked without comment and Harry wrapped them around the ring. Harry covered Tom's hands with his own as best he could and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching.

"Um...Harry…?"

"Shut up," Harry said, the blush never leaving his face. He closed his eyes and forced himself to focus. "I call forth Tom Marvolo Riddle." At first Tom didn't feel anything but then it was like a sledgehammer was driven into his chest. Suddenly his soul was knitting itself back together and he felt everything and nothing all at once.

It felt like an eternity, but only five minutes had passed. He opened his eyes, unsure of when he had closed them, and saw Harry looking utterly drained and sweaty. Tom himself was panting and trembling. They involuntarily leaned into one another, too tired to stay upright.

Of course, that was when the door to the room burst open and Harry's father, godfather, father figure and friends poured into the room, having grown concerned about what they were doing.

"It's not...what it looks like," Harry managed to get out before slipping away into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **This chapter was actually a bit of a struggle for me, particularly after Dumbledore is gone, but I finally did it! I know the end is a bit silly but it was supposed to be a poke at the more ridiculous Good!Tom and Bad!Light stories I've read where Tom and Harry fall in love immediately despite everything and blah blah blah. I mean...I totally read those stories sometimes but I refused to add that into my story XD. Anyway, thanks again for sticking around so long and I'll see you guys soon for the wrap up chapter!**

 **Please review! :)**


	57. Chapter 57

Fickle Fate: Chapter 57

 **This is the END! I can't believe it but it's finally over. I want to thank everyone who's stuck through this bumpy journey with me and gave this whacky story a chance. I never expected it to end up this long but I wouldn't change it. This epilogue might have a lot crammed into it, but I wanted to wrap up as many loose ends as possible.**

 **Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this final installment of Fickle Fate!**

 **Warnings:** **Just...a lot of feels. Yeah, that's it.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I did...but I don't.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Epilogue**

Months Later...

Harry tried to calm his fidgeting but the more he tried to be still the worse it got.

"It will be alright, Harry. No one will think less of you or use this information against you." Harry turned to look at his father and tried to smile at him, only for it to come out as a grimace.

"In my head I know that, but...I've never told anyone everything, you know? Well, I mean, I tried _once_ when I was little but that went really wrong." Severus moved to sit next to Harry on the Hospital Wing bed and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"I'm sorry you didn't have adults you could trust to protect you growing up. I can't erase what happened but I'm hoping you can start getting at least some of the childhood you should have had." Harry leaned into Severus's side, taking the offered comfort.

Their relationship had come a long way, and so had the Wizarding World. It had been over five months since the "Battle of Hogwarts," as the Prophet called it. In that time a lot had changed…

The first major change was that Madam Bones became Minister of Magic. She had personally ousted Minister Fudge after his corruption was fully uncovered and seeing as she was head of the Wizengamot, she became the Interim Minister. She held that position for four months until a formal vote could be organized and the people given the opportunity to have their say. Unsurprisingly, she won by a landslide.

During her time as Interim Minister she cleaned house, got the Ministry started on shifting from war mode to peace time and met privately with Harry and Tom. Harry had been terrified; he hadn't met a politician that actually listened to him and didn't want him thrown in prison. His family calmed him and Tom told him to be completely honest with Madam Bones. So, Harry didn't hold anything back, except perhaps the gory details of his treatment at the Dursleys, though he felt justified glossing over that part of his life.

Harry had almost collapsed in relief when he was dismissed from her office with no consequences and only a sympathetic look. After he had come out, Tom went in.

That meeting went much longer than Harry's and he only heard about the consequences the following day. It was summarily decided that for the sake of public well-being Lord Voldemort would be "killed". Tom Riddle could keep his persona as Lord Slytherin, since he really was the heir, but Lord Voldemort would be no more.

The Daily Prophet printed pictures of the "dead" Dark Lord on the front page a week later. The official story was that the body found was actually a golem created by Albus Dumbledore who used it to start the war and run both sides of it ensuring he would come out the victor. It was flimsy if anyone asked too many in depth questions but at that point the public was more than willing to accept it, if it meant the war was over. Harry for one had just rolled his eyes and moved on. It wasn't his problem anymore.

Despite having "killed" Lord Voldemort, Madam Bones was not satisfied. That's where the second major change came in.

The new Minister of Magic was requiring Tom to attend bi-weekly Mind Healer sessions at St. Mungo's with a Mind Healer of her choice. The Mind Healer would report back to her on the sessions and Tom's progress, and Madam Bones would decide when Tom was no longer required to continue with the sessions.

This stipulation, while humiliating, was worthwhile and helpful to Tom in the long run. Having a shattered and split soul on top of a traumatic childhood left the man with a desperate need for healing.

In addition, while Tom could keep his seats on the Wizengamot he would never be allowed to run for any sort of office. He was required to donate to multiple charities to help the Wizarding World rebuild. He was to relinquish all cursed artifacts in his possession for destruction (rather than letting them sit in some Ministry storage room). Finally, he had to head one major project for the good of the Wizarding World.

Tom did not find the last requirement difficult as he already had many ideas he wanted to implement.

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Tom not getting any prison time, but he supposed that would require a trial leading to the public discovery that Lord Voldemort was not actually dead. Though their connection was gone Harry and Tom corresponded on a semi-regular basis, so Harry knew that Tom was more than happy to work to repay the debt his part in the war had caused and had some brilliant ideas in the works already.

The third change also involved Tom. Harry had a new friend.

When Tom had finally returned to his rooms at Lestrange Manor following his recuperation in the Hospital Wing, he made an amazing if heart wrenching discovery. The reason Nagini had been gone for many weeks that previous summer was because she was pregnant. Tom found a snake nest hidden in the back corner of his closet. How he never noticed it, he had no idea. However, that day, the eggs hatched and seven beautiful snakes entered the world.

Tom spoke with them and after a week all but two decided they would rather venture out into the world instead of staying. Lord Slytherin kept one but then asked Harry in one of his earliest letters if he would like to have the second baby snake.

Harry had been concerned at first, believing his Parseltongue ability was gone. To reassure him that he could have a pet snake without being able to talk to it, Tom invited Harry over to meet the baby snake. They quickly discovered Harry's talent had stuck.

So, Harry now had Hedwig the owl and Nila the snake. Nila was a spunky little thing always sassing everyone even though only Harry understood her. It had caused him to snort at some inopportune moments but it was worth it. Her companionship and sarcasm helped Harry as he adjusted to his new wand and new magical abilities; she motivated him to keep pushing through frustrating lessons and setbacks.

She was also a great help (along with his other, _human_ friends) when it came to dealing with what Harry considered the biggest change of all. It was definitely the one he cared about the most.

As part of his whole confession/explanation to Madam Bones, Harry admitted that Severus Snape was actually his father and James Potter was his godfather like Sirius Black. The new Minister of Magic was shocked to say the least but she took it all in stride. Then she asked a question that had floored him: "Who do you want to stay with as your primary guardian?"

To think, he had never had an option before and now he had two: his blood father or his current legal guardian, Sirius Black. Though Harry practically jumped for joy upon learning he genuinely didn't have to return to the Dursley's, his stomach grew nauseous.

Everyone had been very worried when Harry returned from the Ministry looking ill but refusing to discuss anything. Thankfully he hadn't needed to. Severus had assumed the question would arise sooner or later, and also assuming Harry's likely reaction to the question, he had taken the initiative to start the custody conversation with Sirius.

At first, the idea of sharing his godson made Sirius reluctant but after calming down he knew it wouldn't be fair or right to keep Harry all to himself. However, he was very firm in his stance that it should be Harry's decision, which Severus completely agreed with.

So, Remus, Sirius and Severus had approached Harry for a discussion. Given the state of the school and the serious trauma many students endured, Minerva McGonagall as temporary Headmistress declared an impromptu holiday for an entire week. This had given Harry and his friends some much needed downtime and his father figures the time to talk with him about his future…

Back in the present, as Harry sat on the hospital bed still awaiting Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, he smiled as he remembered the conversation. He had been so scared when they all wanted to speak with him but in the end he couldn't have been happier.

"What has you suddenly looking so happy," his father asked. Severus was rather curious what could cause his previously anxious son to go from nervous to happy in but a moment.

"Just...thinking about how now I have multiple parents to care for me and more than one home to go to." Harry turned to face his father fully. "Thank you for being willing to work with Sirius on this. I didn't want to have to choose." Severus inclined his head in acknowledgement of the thanks offered.

"It would have been cruel to make you choose. I am glad you are happy with the outcome." Snape's serious expression broke as the corner of his mouth ticked up in a smirk. "Though you might regret it now that you've got adults concerned about the quality of your schoolwork." Harry mock groaned, feeling more relaxed as he bantered with his father.

"Severus, why did you accept the Headmaster position from Professor McGonagall," he suddenly asked. "I thought you hated teaching." The Potions Master let out a small sigh as he acknowledged his son's comment.

"I dislike teaching disrespectful imbeciles about a delicate magical art that can easily get someone hurt. It is stressful, frustrating and dangerous. However, I do highly value education and want to ensure this school returns to its former glory as a institution of learning." Harry nodded his understanding though a small spark of disappointment lit in his chest. Then Snape leaned closer. "I also want to remain close to my son. I may have agreed to share custody with Black but I'm not above cheating a little to get more time with you."

Harry couldn't stop the laugh or the smile from forming even if he wanted to. He ducked his head as a light blush of happiness alighted onto his cheeks. Severus silently congratulated himself on successfully distracting Harry from the distressing situation they found themselves in.

"Well, Mr. Potter, it looks like we are finally ready to begin," came the harried voice of Madam Pomfrey. She was followed by his head of house and Auror Tonks. Given what they were doing a Ministry official was required to be present to report on the findings and continue with an investigation if necessary. Madam Bones suggested Auror Tonks since she knew Harry would be more comfortable with her.

Harry gave the three witches a grimace but nodded that he was ready as well. Severus gave his shoulder a squeeze before standing. Tonks stepped forward holding a glowing metal sphere of some kind and gave Harry a kind smile.

"Alright, Harry. This is a recording device and it will keep account of everything said here once I activate it and will become part of the case file. I'm probably going to have to ask some uncomfortable questions along the way but you don't have to answer if you don't want to. This won't impact your current guardianship in any way, alright? So don't worry about that. Do you have any questions for me?" Harry took a deep breathe and shook his head. Tonks smiled again, tapped the sphere with her wand to get it going and then stepped back to make room for Madam Pomfrey.

Severus stood next to Minerva and watched as the school nurse began to perform a medical history scan on his son to determine the severity of abuse wrought upon him by his muggle relatives.

"I'm sorry it took this long and so many terrible things had to happen before we were finally able to start helping our students," Minerva suddenly murmured. Severus nodded his agreement.

"I agree, however we are helping them now. I understand you have two more lions to assist?" At her nod he hummed in sympathy. "I recommend speaking with the other Heads and figuring out a schedule so you aren't each bombarded with all of this trauma at once. I am also in the process of finding a counselor, perhaps two, to help with student health and any future abuse cases." Minerva gave him a smile and wiped a tear from her eye.

"That is a wonderful idea, Severus. I must say you are making a wonderful Headmaster so far." Severus snorted while trying not to lose his cool at seeing his son's medical history chart getting longer by the moment.

"The standard has been rather low for quite a while. I find it isn't hard to impress in such situations." Minerva hummed and shrugged in an acquiescent manner and changed the subject.

"I understand Mr. Potter's friends have been very helpful preparing for this?"

"Quite," Severus said. "Though they've all been helping each other. Mr. Weasley still struggles with his lack of parents, though I understand his father is improving. Harry tells me Ronald and Ginevra visit their father in the Janus Thickey ward whenever Mr. Longbottom goes to visit his parents." Minerva hummed in sympathy. Harry was wringing his hands as Tonks started asking for explanations for injuries noted on Madam Pomfrey's record.

"The sheer amount of _Imperio's_ that poor man endured over the years is staggering, and for him to be as sane as he is still? Truly astonishing. Bill and Charlie seem to be doing well helping their siblings at least." Severus agreed and forced himself not to interrupt Auror Tonks as she gently pressed Harry for more information. Normally he wouldn't be allowed in the room seeing as it was his son being examined for abuse, but he was the Headmaster. Plus, everyone knew he wasn't the one who had physically abused Harry for years (the Occlumency lessons notwithstanding; he and Harry still struggled with that part of their past occasionally).

"Yes. Draco and his father are still working on their relationship. My godson misses his mother terribly despite what she did to him. However, his Aunt Andromeda has surprisingly stepped up to offer him the maternal comfort that Lucius cannot." Minerva was happy to hear that and said as much.

"I'm sure the budding romance between the young Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy is also providing the two boys a nice distraction," she said rather cheekily. Snape actually turned to look at her with a brow raised. He didn't answer immediately, though when he turned his head to focus back on Harry, Minerva spotted an amused smirk forming.

"Yes...well...it still seems to be at that awkward crush level rather than a budding romance, as you suggest. I can't seem to bring Draco up without Harry blushing and Draco has taken to bursting into my quarters at random to start ranting about how "annoying" my son is for ignoring his rather dreadful attempts at flirting. I'm quite sure Ms. Granger is about ready to lock them in a broom cupboard soon if they don't figure it out. Mr.'s Zabini and Nott would gladly help her." McGonagall shook her head in amusement and her smile softened as she stared at Harry.

"He finally gets to have something normal, Severus. He finally gets to be a child." Severus let out a shaky breath and gave his son an encouraging smile when Harry looked to him for strength.

"Yes, he does, Minerva. He finally gets to just be Harry."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the wrap up! I plan to take a short break to get some of my other stories ready to start publishing but I'll be back soon. I'm going to focus on my avengers and white collar stories for a little while since I've been immersed in the Wizarding World for so long and hopefully that will get fresh HP stories flowing from me in a while. Thanks again!**

 **PS I looked up the bare minimum on snake births/maternal habits given the (maybe?) accurate info I could find on Nagini's species.**

 **PPS I decided to hint at a relationship rather than include it as a major point in the story. I got a lot of suggestions for who to pair Harry with and Draco/Harry won by one vote. It was the only relationship suggested more than once! XD**

 **Please review! :)**


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